My Favorite Things Cookies - Recipe

Okay, I had to put the song in there, as it influenced the name of these cookies.  They are a combination three of our family's favorite cookies - Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Peanut Butter.  They can also be gluten and dairy free, if you use allergy-free versions of oats and chocolate chips, and would probably be very good with almond butter or sunflower butter, if you can't have peanut butter.  I haven't tried these options, so if you do, please leave  a comment and let me know how they work out!  I just like that they are super-easy, super-fast, and don't use a lot of dishes!

My Favorite Things Cookies

(about 20 cookies)

Ingredients:

1 c. peanut butter

1 c. sugar (white makes them a little crisper, brown a little softer)

1 c. oatmeal

1/2 cup (or more) chocolate chips

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

• Mix all ingredients together.  It doesn't matter what order - just stick it all in a bowl.  (I actually measure the dry ingredients first so that I only have to use one measuring cup.)
• Form balls, place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten (I use my hands for this - it's kind of like working with chunky play-doh).
• Cook at 350 degrees until browned - approximately 12 minutes.
• Let sit on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes until they set a bit.
• Remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
• If there are any cookies left by the time they are cool, put them in a sealed container to keep them fresh.

Recipe: Rory-Safe "Oreos" (Gluten, dairy, soy, chocolate, and artificial-junk -free)

Since Rory's allergy diagnosis, a multitude of normal, everyday foods have become completely taboo.  We went to a birthday party yesterday, with the usual array of sweets, and he was stuck with fruit, and a few marshmallows that I let him have, even though they most likely had blue food coloring in them (Really!  Check the labels).  We will be spending tomorrow with Hubby's family to celebrate Memorial Day, so I wanted to have something special that Rory could actually eat.  So I found a recipe in "Cooking for Isaiah," one of my favorite cookbooks since starting this bewildering food journey, and tweaked it a little.  The result?  Allergy-free "Oreo"-type cookies, and one happy little boy!

Rory-Safe "Oreos"

gluten, dairy, soy, chocolate, and artificial junk - free

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 cup Namaste Perfect Flour Blend

3 tbsp. carob powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shortening (I use Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening, as Crisco has soybean oil)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and carob powder
• In a large bowl, beat shortening and sugars until fluffy, then add egg and vanilla.
• Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture.
• Drop onto cookie sheets - use about a rounded half-teaspoon per cookie.  Bake for 7 minutes or until crinkled on the top.  Let cool on the sheet for about two minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Mix together filling ingredients.  Put a small amount on the bottom of a cookie, and squish down with the bottom of another cookie that more or less matches.

That's it!  Yields about 30 cookies and 1 happy boy!

Recipe - Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Banana Nut Muffins

I'm pretty proud of myself - I have developed a gluten-free, dairy-free recipe!  I love making banana bread and banana muffins, so I took my favorite recipe and adapted it.  Even Hubby loves them, and he's a little leery of anything, well, on Rory's diet!  So, here we go.  I hope you enjoy them!

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Banana Nut Muffin

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Banana Nut Muffins

2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix all dry ingredients together, then add:

3 eggs
1/2 cup cooking oil
2-3 overripe bananas, mashed

Stir until well mixed, then add

1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

Spoon into a greased muffin pan.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, until muffins are browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Enjoy!


Linked-up at Lessons From Ivy

Easy Healthy "Dippin' Dots" recipe

So, I'm trying to come up with foods that Rory can eat with his very restricted diet.  One of the most difficult has been ice cream.  It is extremely difficult to find ice cream that is free of dairy, soy, and chocolate all at the same time.  There was a sticker on my banana yesterday, advertising "yonanas."  I went to the website, and they were trying to get you to buy a machine which basically mushed up frozen bananas with other ingredients and came out with something like soft serve ice cream.  "Well," I said to myself, "I don't need a new machine for this!  I have a Ninja Kitchen System 1100!  So, I proceeded to freeze some bananas.  Then, I put them in the blender with some frozen strawberries, and voila!  Not exactly soft serve, as there were tiny bits of bananas and strawberries mixed all together, but Rory said they were like Dippin' Dots.  They passed the kid test, as both of them wanted more!  I put the leftovers in the freezer, so we'll see what happens to it next (oh, boy - science!)  But in the meantime, here's what we did.


Homemade Dippin' Dots
2 bananas, peeled and frozen
1 cup frozen strawberries

Put all ingredients in blender, blend on "Crush" until desired consistency, stopping blender to scrape down sides if necessary.  Scoop into dishes - enjoy!

Ice Cream Recipe

So - Rory was up shortly after 6:00 this morning, because he remembered that we were going to make ice cream today!  I have an old-fashioned ice cream freezer, complete with hand crank (though it also has an electric  motor we can use if we get too tired!)  We haven't used it for a while, especially as it works best with snow, and we have had very little snow in our area this winter.  We actually had a tiny storm Wednesday night, and though there wasn't enough to really build a snowman or sled, there was enough to make ice cream!  Anyway, the ice cream turned out so yummy - okay, I confess that we were eating ice cream at 10:00 this morning - that I thought I'd post the recipe.  It's actually a variation of a recipe that came with the freezer, but it's just so easy!  When I was a girl - many moons ago - I remember my Mom making a kind of custard ice cream that was cooked on the stove first.  This one does not have to be cooked, so you don't have to wait for the mixture to cool before you can freeze it - good for impatient 9-year-old boys!

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 quarts half and half
2 cups sugar
1 quart whipping (or heavy) cream
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 bag mini chocolate chips

Mix the half and half, sugar, and whipping cream together, transfer to ice cream freezer and churn until almost done (about when your arms fall off).  Add the vanilla and chocolate chips (quickly so the bottom of the ice cream doesn't harden) and continue churning.  Transfer to freezer containers (it filled up 4 quart-sized yogurt containers), spooning a bit into separate bowls for all of the workers to try (don't forget this part!) and put into freezer until hard.


Voila!  We will be having ice cream for dessert tonight!

Favorite Easy Lunch - Banana Roll-Ups!

This is one of our go-to meals.  It's also a great picnic item.  It's also so simple my 3-year-old can make them!  

Lily making tortillas - Robin Wheatley

Banana Roll-Ups
For each roll-up, you will need:
1 fajita or soft taco-size flour tortilla
1 banana
1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter (approximate)
1 tablespoon chocolate chips (approximate)
Instructions:
1.  Spread peanut butter on one side of the tortilla, covering the whole thing.
2.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over entire tortilla.
3.  Place banana at one end of tortilla, and roll it up.  The banana will break apart a little as you roll the tortilla, so the roll should end up relatively straight.
4.  Cut the roll-up in half.


See, wasn't that easy?  You can, of course, substitute something else for the peanut butter, and even eliminate the chocolate chips (gasp!) but this is our favorite way of making them.  Enjoy!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/

Wheatley Family Egg Drop Soup

I was going to call this "Robin's Egg Drop Soup," but I thought some people may get the wrong idea!


Ingredients - for 2-3 servings

1 quart of chicken broth, stock, or prepared bouillon
1/8 cup thin sliced onion
1 cup Ditalini or other small pasta
2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork

Combine chicken broth and onion.  Heat to boiling.
Add pasta.  Bring back to boiling and cook until done, stirring occasionally.
Take soup off the burner, lower temperature, and slowly pour the eggs into the soup in a thin stream.
Put soup back on burner, and cook at low heat until eggs are set, stirring occasionally.

Variations:  Instead of sliced onion, use 2 cloves minced garlic, or wait until soup is done and add chopped chives or scallions.

This is a very quick and easy soup, and my kids love it.  The measurements are actually approximate - I just usually throw in some onion and a few handfuls of pasta.  This is a good amount for the kids and I.  If hubby is eating too, we would need about double.  Enjoy!

Rory's Black Bean Soup

Hello, everyone - Rory made supper tonight.  He decided he wanted to make black bean soup, so we came up with a recipe.  It turned out very good, so we thought we should post it in case anyone else wants to enjoy it!  Just so you know, the measurements are approximate, as we did not measure things while making the soup.

1lb. dried black beans
     - soak overnight, then bring to a boil, and skim.  Reduce heat to a simmer, simmer several hours, adding water as necessary.

1/2 onion
1 carrot
3 cloves garlic
     - process in food processor until small pieces, then add to soup.  Bring soup back to a boil, then add:

juice from one lime,
cayenne pepper, cumin, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.

     -continue to cook until vegetables are tender, about 1/2 hour.
     - serve with grated cheese and plain yogurt or sour cream.

Enjoy!

Rory's "Liquid Ice" Recipe

From Rory:
I've got a recipe that I made up.  It's really good.  You should try it.  You take any kind of liquid drinkable and put it in the blender along with some ice.  Then, with the ice and the liquid that you picked out, turn the blender on, and let the grinding begin!  Then, when it's all done, take it out, get a cup, but be careful of spills.  Then, put it in a cup, and put a straw in it.  Yum, yum!

Oatmeal Fruit Cookies

Hi, everyone.  I had a request for the cookie recipe I mentioned in my last post.  So, here it goes.  It was taken from the Simply in Season cookbook.  The cookies are a little crunchier than some oatmeal raisin recipes, and not quite as sweet, but I think they're really good!

OATMEAL FRUIT COOKIES


1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons mild molasses or honey
In a large bowl cream together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping bowl frequently.

1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
Beat in.

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 - 1 1/2 cups diced dried fruit;  cherries, blueberries, apricots, raisins, cranberries, currants
1 cup grated coconut or nuts (chopped)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Combine separately.  Add dry mixture to the creamed mixture in about 3 additions, stirring just until thoroughly mixed.  Add a little extra flour if mixture seems too wet.  Drop by rounded teaspoons on greased baking sheets.

For chewy cookies:  Bake in preheated oven at 325F until just set (edges spring back when touched gently but centers sill leave an imprint), 18 - 20 minutes.  Immediately remove from pans and place directly onto clean countertop or table surface.  As soon as cookies are cool put into air-tight containers.

For crisp cookies:  Bake in preheated oven at 375F until centers spring back, 11 - 13 minutes.  Watch carefully to avoid burning.  Cool on a wire rack.

NOTE:  I used raisins and nuts.  I followed the directions for chewy cookies, and they were still a little crunchy.

Getting There!

Well, we have ONE day of school left!  What a year!  We started our school year last July, with a pretty loose summer schedule.  It was actually helpful later in the year to be a few days ahead.  I didn't have to worry if there were days we couldn't "do school" because we were already ahead of the game.  Now, though, I am ready for a break - and I know Rory is!

We're working on the house (mostly Rory and I).  So far, I feel like I have a handle on the kitchen, the living room, and finally the playroom.  We found the middle of the room today - just a few corners that need straightened, but the table is clear, and the toys are off the floor, which is a GREAT improvement!

I added red beans to my canning pantry.  All of the jars even sealed the first try!  It was fun, because I had a friend over who is interested in learning to can.  Funny that I should be a mentor, since I'm pretty clumsy at it, but we had a good time, anyway!

I made a new bread recipe yesterday, and a new cookie recipe today, both with oatmeal.  The recipes are out of the "Simply In Season" cookbook.  So far, everything I have tried in there has been very good!  (I even got the canned bean recipe from it).

I decided to try a book on tape from the library.  I LOVE to read, but don't always get the time I'd like, so I decided to try listening.  It's hard to do with the kids, but I found that I can listen while working in the kitchen, and it makes the time go by more pleasantly.

Lily spent all day yesterday in big-girl panties!  She managed to use the potty all day!  Today, not so much, but she's trying!

Rory is sleeping with two fireflies in a jar - yay, summer!

Both kids are asleep, so I'm going to straighten the kitchen, and get ready for bed!  Good Night!

Bread and Birthday

I keep saying I am going to put my favorite bread recipe on this blog, and then I either don't get to write that day, or I end up writing about other stuff.  Well, I am going to post it today before I think of something else to do!  I found this recipe in a book called "A Pioneer Thanksgiving" by Barbara Greenwood.  I had borrowed the book from the library to use for school around Thanksgiving time.  It was about a pioneer family celebrating Thanksgiving, and each chapter had a craft, game, or recipe to go along with it.  This is called "Festival Bread", but we eat it all year round!  It is my husband's favorite recipe so far.

FESTIVAL BREAD

2 c. very warm water

1 tbsp. each of sugar, yeast, vegetable oil, and salt

5 c. white flour (I have used half whole wheat flour, and it works very well.)

Pour the warm water into a bowl.  Stir in the sugar, then sprinkle the yeast on top.  Put the bowl in a warm place for ten minutes.  The yeast should bubble.

Stir in the oil and salt and slowly add in the flour.

On a floured counter, punch and fold the dough for ten minutes - until it's smooth.  Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Put the dough into a clean, oiled bowl.  Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and place somewhere warm until the dough has doubled in size - about two hours.

Shape into a circle or oval (I've also shaped it into a long loaf, like Italian Bread).

Put the bread on a baking sheet and put it in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Today, I am not making bread.  It is Hubby's birthday, and he picked out sloppy joes, and mac & cheese in a box for supper.  Works for me!  I did make him peanut butter cookies, as he doesn't care much for cake.  He and Rory are now watching an Incredible Hulk cartoon movie.  Rory gets to watch TV today even though it is a school day, just because it's Dad's birthday.  He originally thought he should have the day off to celebrate.  I must be a mean mom!  He did have a half day yesterday, because he had a playdate yesterday afternoon. 

Note to Stephanie - I think the Maritime Aquarium was a great day trip - we were there for three hours, and didn't see everything.  We did see the 40 minute movie, and we ate lunch there, which took up some time, but I think you could spend all day there easily.  I don't know what it's like on the weekends, but it was not crowded at all when we were there.  It took us 1 1/2 hours to get there.  I believe it is open from 10 to 5.  They have a good website, and you can check out the movies they are showing also. 

I've just realized that this has been a very strange school week, but it's been fun, and we've had a lot of different experiences.  Maybe next week will be back to "normal".  Whatever that is!

Cold Ice Cream and Hot Water!

We have the technology!  First for the water heater - we had the top element working, but not the bottom.  This was okay as long as you only wanted hot water for 5 minutes.  Not good for hubby, who enjoys l o o o o n g showers.  Also difficult when washing dishes or diapers.  So, enter the plumber.  Praise God - it was only a broken wire, which he was able to fix for only the cost of a service call!  Hubby officially tested the water this afternoon, and was pleased to see that he was able to shower long enough to produce steam on the mirror.  My man will do anything for his family, you see.
And now for the ice cream.  After the grave disappointment of last Thursday, Rory and I took a deep breath and started the process all over again.  I must say we were much more efficient this time, having done this before.  In fact, we were like a well-oiled ice cream machine!  In an effort to figure out what had gone wrong, I spoke to Mom. This is always a good idea whenever anything doesn't work, I've found. She suggested that since cheap sugar is not good for making frosting or candy, it may not be good for ice cream, either.  Aha!  In an effort to be more frugal, I had purchased the dreaded store brand sugar.  No more!  This time, with Domino sugar, the ice cream actually froze!  JOY!  We added the candy canes, and it is in the freezer hardening.  Of course, we couldn't put it all in the freezer.  The kids and I each tried a bit of soft ice cream.  Rory pronounced it good, and named it "Candy Cane Surprise...Candy Cane in Every Bite!"  We now look forward to eating the rest of it!
My other news is that, after refusing for months, I have finally joined Facebook.  My worst fears were realized on Saturday, when I spent a major portion of the day trying to put a picture on my profile.  AAAAAHHH!  I don't have time for this!  But it has been nice to be able to connect with old friends that I haven't spoken to in a while.  I absolutely will not get on Farmtown, though.  A girl has to draw the line, somewhere.

Best Laid Plans

Who said "The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go awry"?  Well, I can't tell you about mice, but Teddy the hamster and I can sure tell you about ice cream...okay, maybe it wasn't the best laid plan.  It seemed like a good idea, though, at the time.  If you read my post, yesterday, you will know that because of all of the beautiful snow, I decided it was a good time to make ice cream.  Well, the funny thing about ice cream is that when you put it in an ice cream freezer it's actually supposed to freeze.  The instructions say if you're using the electric motor, that should happen in 20 to 40 minutes.  Well, son Rory and I started out hand-cranking it, but of course we got a bit tired, so decided to use the motor.  Now, one thing you have to know about me, is I am not a "fix-it-and-forget-it" kind of girl.  (Hence, my crock-pot ineptitude, but that's another story).  So, since the ice cream is completely hidden (gasp!) in a metal container, packed in slush, you have to take the top off to see if it is freezing.  Right?  Well, we started the ice cream freezer mid-afternoon.  Somehow, by midnight, the ice cream was no more icy than when we started.  I do not know how this happened, but I do know that Teddy the hamster was quite upset about the noise by this time, and was scratching at his cage as if to say "MAKE IT STOP!!!"  So, at 1:00 A.M., I finally went to bed, after having poured the ice cream down the drain because it mysteriously got little gray dirt specks in it, dumping out the bucket (boy, it was cold out last night!), washing the ice cream freezer parts, and wiping up the water off the floor.  I put the soggy towels in the washer to soak with the white couch cover which now has spaghetti sauce on it, because my sweet daughter got away from the supper table and went to see Daddy before I realized it, because I was preoccupied with the ice cream which we'll never get to eat..................(breathe, breathe,..)  Okay.  The good news is that I was able to accomplish all of this cleaning-up with hot water from the tap! Oh, joy!  While I was obsessing over the ice cream, dear hubby fixed the hot water heater!  Yay!  Just to let you know, I am not defeated.  I will prevail.  There will be ice cream one day.  The weather forecast is for c o l d  for the next few days, so the snow will be around for a while, and, hey, we have a half-acre of it to work with!  Daa, da da dum, dum, Daaaah!

Starting Out

Hello, this is my very first post.  Today was a snow day, so I decided to start a blog.  My husband, Mike, actually called in to work for the first time in 22 years, and is now snuggle-sleeping in the chair with my 20-month old daughter (cute!)  Rory is busy watching Anastasia on TV, something he is usually not allowed to do on school days.  But, hey, it's a snow day, right?  They both just got finished shoveling the driveway.  Mike had to shovel so that he could get to the hardware store to buy new elements for the hot water heater.  It is officially not working, so I have spent the day boiling water on the stove so that we could wash dishes, hands, etc.  I also made some bread, and we're getting ready to make ice cream in our hand-crank ice cream maker (fun!)  Rory is ready - we haven't done it for over a year, but with all this snow to use, who could resist?  We also have leftover candy canes from Christmas to add to the ice cream - yum!