It’s summer time. Hooray! You know what that means? Bug bites? Long sunny days? Thunder storms? Beautiful flowers?

Yes. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about somethings sweet. Juicy. Plump. Something that tastes a little sinful, but really isn’t.

I’m talking about blueberries. BLUEBERRIES!

In the words of my two year old, “I love them”.

While blueberries are great by the handful, sprinkled in yogurt, over ice cream or in smoothies, they are even better in muffins. Topped with streusel. Mmmmmm, streusel. It’s the perfect way to start a summer morning.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. See that beautiful golden color? That’s due to agave nectar.

Fold in some plump, juicy blueberries…

Add a crumbly streusel topping…

Bake to a golden, oozy perfection.

Are you drooling yet?

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

2-1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
———-
1-1/2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
———-
1/2 cup oil (canola, coconut or softened butter)
3/4 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup and subtract 1/4 cup flour from above)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup milk
———-
2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
5 table spoons
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375º. Line 12 muffin tins (I love these Reusable Silicone Baking Cups).

In a small bowl, sift together the 2-1/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside

Wash blueberries and mix with 1-1/2 tablespoon four. This will help them from sinking to the bottom of the batter, and from keeping the batter from turning blue.

In a large bowl, beat oil and agave nectar (or sugar) until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice. Fold in the dry ingredients, alternatively with the milk, until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour  into muffin tins.

In a small bowl combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins, and lightly pat in place. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toot pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Meal Plan

Dinners for the week:

Monday: Turkey, black bean and hummus panini
Tuesday: Slower cooker chicken enchiladas (5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes)
Wednesday: Spinach and Bacon Frittata ($5 Dollar Dinners)
Thursday: Salads with fresh veggies from the Farmer’s Market
Friday: Pizza with my breadmachine pizza dough and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Saturday: Leftover pizza
Sunday: French toast casserole (AllRecipes.com)

Toddler-friendly lunches:

Monday: Peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches (Wholesome Toddler Food)
Tuesday: Cheesy veggie quesadilla (Wholesome Toddler Food)
Wednesday: Grilled cheese and corn
Thursday: Stuffed pitas with turkey, hummus and cheese
Friday: Chicken nuggets and carrots
Saturday: Whole wheat bagel with peanut butter, honey and raisins
Sunday: Homemade crackers, hummus, cheese and carrots

I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars, Crackers and Graham Crackers, and Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

This post is also linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Cupcake Tuesday and What’s On the Menu Wednesday.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins and Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son

So, last week I decided that I needed to soak my own beans, rather than buy then canned. Why or why would I do this when canned beans are so easy? Well, it’s a better value to buy dry beans, soaking them is pretty easy, I can control the amount of salt that goes in them, and of course I avoid the BPA found in cans.

Of course I was under one very wrong assumption.

I thought that you only needed to soak the beans.

I had no idea that you needed to cook them afterwards.

One night last week, I set out my large pot, filled it with water and the dry black beans and let it soak overnight. Actually, by the time I got around to checking on them, it had been about, 16 hours I think. More than enough time to soften and turn them into the kind of beans you get in a can.

Or so I thought.

One quick test revealed crunch, icky tasty beans. FAIL. What in the world did I do wrong?

It turns out that you have to cook the beans after you soak them. Hey, I can hear you laughing over there.

So cook them I did, and a short time later, they came out perfectly. With one small bag of dried beans, I ended up with 6 cups of cooked beans. Four cups for dinner and two cups for freezing.

And yes, I will be doing it again. It’s easy, and once I cooked the dang things, pretty tasty. Here’s my recipe.

Soaking and Cooking Dry Beans

Rinse dry beans in water and check for any small stones or other non-bean particles (I didn’t find anything in my beans).

Fill your largest pot with 6-8 cups of water. Add the rinsed dry beans and allow to soak over night, or at least 6-8 hours.

Once the beans have soaked, dump the water and rinse.

Put the beans back in the pot and add water so there is at least one inch of water above the beans. Set to simmer for 45 minutes to 2 hours. I simmered the black beans for 1 hour and 15 minutes and they were perfect. Test your beans along the way to get the desired softness. Add water as needed so the beans remain covered while cooking.

Once the beans are done, dump out the water and rinse. If you aren’t using them right away, I recommend freezing them in 2 cup servings, perfect for most recipes.

Charlotte also introduced me to cooking beans in a slow cooker, which I’ll have to try out next time around. I love slow cookers.

Photo copy right of DeclanZimmerman

Meal Plan

Here’s what we are cooking up for the week.

Monday: Nachos with leftover brown rice ($5 Dinners)
Tuesday: Grilled Brown Sugar Pork Chops (AllReipces.com)
Wednesday: German Oven Pancake (recipe from my mom)
Thursday: Spaghetti with homemade meatballs (Mom advice)
Friday: Pizza with my breadmachine pizza dough and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Saturday: Leftover pizza
Sunday: Turkey brats on the grill

As usual, I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars. Homemade Crackers and some graham crackers. And of course my Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

What are you eating this week?

Don’t forget about the Thank You Journal carnival. What are you thankful for this week?

This post is also linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesday.

Soaking Beans and Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Maybe spicy dark chocolate. Yes, it does exist, and it’s delish.

Anyway, I can’t live on chocolate alone. Sadly. But this meal just about makes up for it.

It’s a recipe I adapted from AllRecipes (LOVE this site).

It has this super tasty marinade.

With a “few” peppers.

Pour it over some chicken bites and sautee in a pan.

Add some yummy veggies (the frozen kind are the easiest).

Toss with rice noodles (or rice).

Take-out style Chinese food.

Spicy Chicken and Rice Noodles

4 chicken breasts cut into cubes
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoon vinegar
dash hot sauce, red pepper flakes or the tiny red peppers above
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1-/2 to 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Sesame seed oil (or non-stick spray)

Bag of frozen veggies

1 package rice noodles or rice

In a small bowl, stir together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Add pepper to taste, or leave it out if you prefer. Set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade for later. Pour the remaining marinade over the cubed chicken breasts. Cover and allow to soak for at least 1 hour.

Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil to medium high heat (or spray pan with non-stick spray). Add chicken when the pan is very hot. Cook until no longer pink.

While the chicken is cooking, cook the rice noodles (or rice) according to the package directions.

Once the chicken is cooked, push it to the sides of the pan. Add the frozen veggies and heat until cooked through.

Toss the chicken and veggies over the rice noodles, pour extra marinade if desired. Whip out your favorite chop sticks and enjoy.

This would be great paired with some baked crab rangoon.

Meal Plan

Here’s what we are cooking up for the week.

Monday: Various leftovers from the weekend
Tuesday: Pretzel Crusted Chicken Fingers
Wednesday: BLTs
Thursday: Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas (Pioneer Woman)
Friday: Dinner with the in-laws – no cooking for me!
Saturday: BBQ with friends for a graduation party
Sunday: Turkey brats on the grill with some grilled garlic bread ($5 Dinners)

As usual, I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars. Homemade Crackers and some graham crackers. And of course my Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

What are you eating this week?

Don’t forget about the Thank You Journal carnival. What are you thankful for this week?

This post is also linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesday.

Oh, and before I forget, the winner for the Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil giveaway was comment #17, Joan. Congrats!

Spicy Chicken and Rice Noodles – Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son

One of my favorite things to make for, OK, pretty much the only thing that I make for lunch, is an egg sandwich. It’s so easy, super healthy with lots of protein and energy. And you can mix it up so everyday is a little different. Here’s my recipe for the perfect egg sandwich.

Simple Egg Sandwich

2 slices of your favorite whole grain bread (I use my flax bread)
1 egg
Favorite seasonings (I use this Ranch mix from AllRecipes.com)
A handful of spinach leaves
Hummus, butter, mayo or your favorite sandwich topping
Cooking spray or butter
Sea salt

Heat a small pan, spayed with cooking spray, over medium heat.

In a bowl beat egg and seasoning until light and fluffy. Tear spinach into bite sized pieces and mix into egg.

Spray bread with cooking spray or spread with butter. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Toast in pan until browned and crispy. Think grilled cheese sandwich. Brush untoasted side with hummus, butter, mayo or your favorite topping.

Pour egg/spinach mixture into pan. Cook, then flip until egg is no longer running and spinach starts to wilt. Cover pan if necessary to help the spinach to wilt.

Transfer egg to one slice of bread. Top with the second slice. Pair it with some grapes, an apple or banana for a super powered lunch.

Meal Plan

Here’s what we are cooking up for the week.

Monday: Various leftovers from the weekend
Tuesday: Pretzel Crusted Chicken Fingers
Wednesday: Grilled Turkey and Hummus Panini’s
Thursday: Pasta with chicken, basil and white wine sauce (A Southern Fairy Tale)
Friday: Homemade pizza on my pizza crust and homemade sauce (AllRecipes.com)
Saturday: Leftover pizza
Sunday: Oatmeal Waffles, mmmm

As usual, I’ll also be putting together some of my Super Energy Granola Bars. Homemade Crackers and some graham crackers. And of course my Wheat Germ, Flax Seed Bread.

What are you eating this week?

Don’t forget about the Thank You Journal carnival. What are you thankful for this week?

This post is linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesday.

Egg Sandwich and a Meal Plan 05.17.10 is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I stumbled on a recipe by Martha Stewart. Oh. My. God. Sooooo good. The very first batch that I made disappeared in 3 days. No kidding.

As good as these were, they were a little on the sweet side. And kind of putzy to make. So I changed it up a bit. And I’m just as in love with the modified recipe as I was with the original. Actually, I’m probably more in love.

Not only are they delicious, but they are healthy. Well, healthier than store bought graham crackers anyway. Whole wheat flour and wheat germ make a sneak appearance. Plus there’s no corn syrup or ingredients that you can’t pronounce. In my book, that’s pretty healthy.

Plus, you can do so many variations with this recipe. The original honey graham crackers are fantastic. But the chocolate ones, well, those are just divine.

All you have to do is whisk the flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, salt, baking soda and cinnamon (and cocoa powder) in a bowl…(chocolate on left, honey on right)

Combine the butter, sugar and honey…

Mix until pale and fluffy…

Add the dry ingredients to the mix…

Mix on low until combined…(chocolate on left, honey on right)

Roll out on a baking stone (or parchment paper) until 1/8″ thick…

Cut into desired shapes (I like bit-sized pieces)…(chocolate on left, honey on right)

Bake until golden brown…(chocolate on left, honey on right)

Then try, just try, not to eat the entire batch in one day.

Graham Crackers

1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup untoasted wheat germ
optional: 1/2 cup cocoa powder – for chocolate crackers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a small bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.

On medium speed, mix the butter, sugar and honey until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrap sides as needed.

Add the flour mixture, beating on low speed.

Roll dough out on a baking stone (or floured parchment paper) using a well floured rolling pin, until about 1/8″ thick. Hint, the dough is crumbly, it is much easier to cover it with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper when rolling out. Cut into desired size (cutting them after they bake actually works a little better than cutting before they bake).

Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes on stone or pan. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

This post is linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesday.

Graham Crackers is a post from: Alli 'n Son

If you are following me on Twitter, you may have noticed over the past few weeks that there was a lot of talk about cake balls. Mmmmm, cake balls.

Snacking on an apple so I don’t inhale all of the cake balls. #addicting 1:38 PM Mar 10th

Cake balls, batch #2 in the works. Can’t wait for the kiddo’s b-day party in 3 weeks. These are going to be so cute! 12:44 PM Mar 11th

It is taking all of my willpower to not devour the cake balls sitting on the counter. The smell is driving me insane. 8:38 AM Apr 3rd

If I never have to decorate another cake ball in my life, I’ll be one happy woman. 2:04 PM Mar 20th

Yes, they sound a little dirty, but they are OH. SO. GOOD. At long last, here is the recipe.

Take one baked cake (from the box)…

Mash it up real good…

Mix in some frosting (from the can)…

Once the cake balls have chilled, dip them in chocolate candy coating…

Cover them up real well…

Let extra chocolate drip off…

Let dry.

Decorate…

Decorate…

Decorate…tada!

These are almost too cute to eat. I said almost people. Eat them, and eat lots. They are beyond delicious.

Cake Balls

1 Box of cake mix + ingredients to make cake
1 Can of frosting
Candy chocolate coating

Bake the cake as directed on the box. Allow to cool completely. Using a fork or two, crumble the cake, working in sections is the easiest.

Using a fork, add 3/4 of the can of frosting (or more if you prefer) to the crumbled cake. This is the tough part. Keep mixing, and mixing, and mixing. And mixing. Until all of the frosting in incorporated into the cake.

With your hands, form the cake mixture into balls, large or small. This gets messy, so be prepared to clean (or lick) your hands often. Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Pop the balls into the freezer for at least one hour.

Once the cake balls have been properly frozen, melt the chocolate candy coating according to the packing directions (I use the microwave). Using a fork, dip the cake balls into the chocolate, cover with chocolate, and remove, letting the excess chocolate drain off. Place on parchment paper to dry.

This is the fun part. Now you get to decorate them. You can dip the cake balls in sprinkles before they are dry, for a brightly-color treat. Or using colored chocolate candy or gel icing, create fun ladybugs, footballs or basketballs. Or just go crazy and splatter tons of colors on them.

Then, ENJOY! There’s nothing quite like a nice cake ball.

This post is linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesday.

Cake Balls is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Of course I did, because I was lazy one week. I quickly realized that they were not nearly as good as my homemade crackers. Not only that, but the store-bought crackers are full of preservatives, corn oil and other unhealthy things that you wouldn’t expect to find in a “healthy” cracker. I’m trying my hardest to reduce this kind of thing from our diets, so I’m back to proclaiming that I will never buy another box of store-bought crackers again.

Homemade Crackers (kind of like Wheat Thins)

Thanks to Kitchen Stewardship for the original recipe and inspring me to try my own version.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
3 tablespoons flax seeds
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, flax seeds and paprika. Add the oil, water, honey and vanilla, mix until smooth. I normally use my hands, it’s faster, and kind of fun.

Preheat the oven to 400º. Pop in your baking stone to warm with the oven. If using a baking sheet, lightly grease (no need to preheat the baking sheet). Divide the dough into 8 balls. Take one ball and roll it out on the stone. Get it as thin as possible, the thinner you roll it the crunchier your crackers will be. I use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into squares about 15 inches wide. Well, actually they usually end up more like rectangles, but the shape isn’t really that important. If you want, you can add the oddly shaped edges to one of the remaining dough balls. Or just bake them, and snack on them as you are cooking. Someone needs to test the afterall. Sprinkle the dough lightly with kosher salt.

Pop the crackers into the over for 5-10 minutes. 8 minutes is just about perfect for me. You will know they are done when the edges are very lightly browned. The edges cook faster than the middle, so you may need to remove these and let the rest bake for a few more minutes. Keep a close eye on them, they can burn quickly.

Once cool, store the crackers in an air tight container.

One of the things I love about Kitchen Stewardship original recipe is that it’s so easy to vary it. I’ve made cinnamon sugar crackers and I’m thinking of trying some garlic and olive oil crackers. The possibilities are, seriously, never ending.

This recipe is part of the Mouthwatering Monday Blog Carnival over at A Southern Fairytale. Stop by for more mouthwatering recipes.

Homemade Crackers is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I stumbled across this recipe in the newest Penzy’s Spice catalog. They always have delicious recipes to try. I modified it slightly, and they are so tasty. A little sweet, but it’s not like eating cake for breakfast.

Soak the oatmeal for 10 minutes.

Combine the wet ingredients.

Add the oatmeal.

Add the dry ingredients (did you notice the chocolate chips?).

Spoon into a muffin tin and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (or your fave strudel topping).

Bake for 20 minutes.

They are best straight out of the oven, or warmed up for 15 seconds in the microwave.

Cinnamon-Topped Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup old fashioned oats (not instant)
1 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup coconut oil (butter, canola or vegetable oil will work too)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (omit if you are using salted butter)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-2 handfulls of chocolate chips
2-3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 400º. Combine the oats and buttermilk in a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the oil, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Add the oat mixture and stir to blend. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda and mix well. Spoon the batter into a well greased muffin tin (or use muffin liners, I like these Silicone Liners the best), filling about2/3 full. Sprinkle each muffin pan, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle each muffin generously with cinnamon sugar (this will make a crusty layer on top). Lightly pat down the cinnamon sugar to keep it from falling off the muffins. Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes Let cool about 5 minutes, then carefully remove the muffins by grabbing each one with a tongs of a fork and lifting them out. Don’t turn the pan over or the cinnamon sugar will fall off. Let cool.

This recipe is part of the Mouthwatering Monday Blog Carnival over at A Southern Fairytale, Cupcake Tuesday over at Hoosier Homemade and Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Cinnamon-Topped Oatmeal Muffins is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Well, I followed this recipe and as you can see from many of the comments, it just didn’t work. Mine ended up looking more like brown sugar water with a few oats floating in it, than oatmeal. I was able to salvage it, but cooking up 2 more cups of oatmeal and mixing it in. But over all, the recipe was kind of a disappointment, and just a little bit embarrassing for Jenn.

Jenn decided she needed to figure out what went wrong. So she started The Great Oatmeal Experiment and invited some bloggers to join her. I, of course, gladly accepted.

I started out with the same basic ingredients, in slightly different quantities.

Mixed everything together and let the slow cooker do it’s thing. And…

Tada! Tasty overnight oatmeal.

I proclaim this recipe a success. The oatmeal still has a fair amount of liquid in it (but not watery), so if you like yours a little dryer, you might want to increase the amount of oats you use by 1/2 cup. But otherwise, this was a very tasty way to start my Monday morning.

Overnight Slow Cooker Oatmeal

2 cup regular oats – NOT Quick Oats (add 1/2 cup more if you like dryer oatmeal)
4 cups water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1  tablespoon butter
1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all of the ingredients in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with milk and cinnamon sugar.

This recipe is part of the Mouthwatering Monday Blog Carnival over at A Southern Fairytale. Stop by for more mouthwatering recipes.

Overnight Slow Cooker Oatmeal is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Since I’ve had the bread machine, I’ve kind of turned into a bread-making freak. I use it at least twice a week, sometimes more if I’m really in the mood for some carb-loaded goodness. Bread, dinner rolls, hot dog buns. Pizza dough, cinnamon rolls and English muffins. Mmmmmm, now I’m hungry.

I’ve been experimenting with a bread recipe for the last couple of months, trying to perfect it so I could share it with everyone. Now, it’s finally ready. Tada! A healthy, whole wheat bread that isn’t too heavy, with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. And when it’s fresh from the oven, it makes a killer PBJ.

Just pop in the wet ingredients.

Then add the dry.

Set the program, and in a few short hours, your bread is ready. Plus your house smells heavenly.

Flax Seed Bread, Whole Wheat and Wheat Germ Bread

2-pound loaf – mix ingredients int he order recommended by your bread machine

1-1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup honey

2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk
3 tablespoons falx seed
1-1/4 tablespons gluten
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2-3/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Mix the ingredients in the pan according to the order recommended for your bread machine. Set the crust on medium and program for the Whole Wheat cycle (or Basic cycle). Press start. This recipe may be used with the Delay Timer too.

When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.

This recipe is part of the Mouthwatering Monday Blog Carnival over at A Southern Fairytale. Stop by for more mouthwatering recipes.

Flax Seed, Whole Wheat and Wheat Germ Bread is a post from: Alli 'n Son