In Which Noey Boos Helps to Make His First Chocolate Chip Cookies...

I have wanted to make cookies with Noey for a while now. I finally had the bigger boys busy and the daddy home to snap photos for us to remember. I sat him up on the counter and we started the making of his sweets with a little sugar. ;)





He was very happy to taste EVERYTHING! I mean everything!





We needed to add a little of that sweet sugar he gave me to begin with in the mixing bowl.








He thought a little belonged on himself.








He really liked the wisk.





A little of the flour was sprinkled on him for good measure. How cute is that fat little baby foot all floured up?





He then decided his hands would do a much better job over his wisk.





Yay, Noey!





Now for the yummy chocolate.








I popped them in the oven and soon it was time to taste his first homemade cookies. :) Getting older is worth it I guess. Sigh.





I so enjoyed that time with him. :) He will now beg and cry to help me at the counter when I cook.

No-Bake Cookie Math

Remy whipped up some cookies using his fractions and following directions. He says that all math should be conducted in the kitchen. Hee hee...


Recipe:


1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter


Boil the sugar, cocoa, milk, and margarine in a large pan for one minute. Mix in the oats and peanut butter. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and allow to cool and harden.

Kitchen Science Day 1

I have managed to do some neat school with my older boys. Elijah is always asking me about chemistry and he loves this kind of school. :)


We have been playing with a base, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and an acid, vinegar. We started out with these supplies.





We poured half a cup of vinegar and a quarter of a cup of warm water into the plastic bags.





Next we cut small squares of paper napkin, put 2 tablespoons of baking soda in the middle, and tied them up with a twist tie to make a little bundle.








We then dropped the little bundle of baking soda into the water/vinegar mixture. Twist the top and HOLD ON! Enjoy the show!








What we learned?


The bag swells because the acid and the base react with each other to form bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. The gas fills the bag. This is what happens when we make a cake. The baking soda reacts with the chemicals in the batter to form gas bubbles and the cake rises.


This was a really great experiment with Elijah, my little baker. ;)

A Pizza Snake

My friend Sherri and I both homeschool our children. We got together for a little party. This is what I made. :) I love the way it turned out.


I started with a three pack of frozen bread dough and I thawed it in the fridge over night. The next day I rolled out each section into 23ish x 6 inches rectangle.





I filled with pizza sauce and cheese. You can fill yours with sandwich fixing or anything that grabs your fancy. :) I then "pinwheeled" the dough. Do this in sections.











You will want to moisten the free edge a little with water and pinch to seal once you get to this point. Taper one end for your head and the other for your tail.





Shape each section in an S shape.






Now you need to mix one egg yolk and as much color as needed to get the colors you desire. We did green, yellow, and red. Be sure to do one egg yolk for each different color.




Paint your snake in stripes. Remy loved this part.





Let your painted sections rise for 20 minutes. Bake your Snake sections in a 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. Be sure to spray the foil you are baking on before placing your raw snake sections on them to bake. I placed the foil on a big baking sheet.


Take them out, allow to cool a little, and with toothpicks place olives for eyes and red pepper for a tongue. I used peppercorns for the nostrils.





Now connect your snake sections!








Be sure to eat before he takes on a life of his own and slithers away!

Baby Pumpkin Pies

This activity reminded me of when Eli, my soon to be twelve year old was a baby. I used to call him my punkin pie. :)


Buy refrigerated pie dough and cut out circles with a biscuit cutter.








Next spray with an oil spray on the back of the muffin tins and shape the little circles of dough over the bottoms.





They will bake up nice and fluffy with a little lip on the edges to hold the pumpkin filling.


Next put your pumpkin pie filling mix in a saucepan and heat up. You can add the eggs and milk if you would like, we did. We also mixed two tablespoons of corn starch in a little cup of water and added that in to thicken the mix.


Once you are done allow the children to fill those little baby pie shells. Then enjoy!














There you go...simple pie even little bitty ones can make. :)

Lemon-Rosemary Butter Cookies

I love these cookies! They remind me of a better version of the butter cookies with the crystal sugar topping that came in the tin of butter cookies at Christmas time. The corn flour gives them a nice crumble texture in your mouth as well as a sweet flavor. This is another winner from www.vegetariantimes.com

Lemon-Rosemary Butter Cookies

4 oz. butter, soften on counter for a few hours before use

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. finely chopped rosemary (Thanks to Nicole for the herb!)

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

2 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup flour (all-purpose)

1/3 cup corn flour (not meal)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup turbinado sugar of decorating

1. Beat butter, sugar, rosemary, and lemon zest with mixer for 3 minutes, until creamy. Beat in egg yolks, and vanilla.

2. Whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Add to butter mixture, and beat until JUST combined. Shape into 2 1-inch-wide logs. Wrap in wax or plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours.

3. Preheat to 325. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Unwrap the logs of cookie dough and slice each log into 20 1/3-inch-thick rounds, making 40 cookies out of it all. Put turbinado sugar on plate and press one side of cookie round into the sugar. Place the cookies on your prepared pan, sugar side up. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden.

per cookie

cal 48

prot 1

total fat 2.5
sat fat 1.5

carb 6

chol 16

sod 63

fiber 1

sugar 3

Carrot Waffles

Yes, we are in the fall baking mood here at my house. :)

I made up a double batch of these one day and we ate on them forever. I can't even tell you how yum-o delicious these are. You have to make them.

Carrot-Raisin Waffles

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 Tbs. light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
3/4 cup finely grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

Lightly coat waffle iron with cooking spray, and preheat. Preheat oven to 200F.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

Whisk together eggs, buttermilk and oil, and stir into flour mixture. Fold in carrots and raisins.

Ladle 1/2 cup batter (or amount recommended in manufacturer’s directions) onto waffle iron. Close lid, and cook 4 minutes, or until golden. Gently open lid, and remove waffle with fork. Serve immediately, or transfer to baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining batter, lightly coating iron with cooking spray each time.

Elijah the Baker

I always find it kind of odd that my type 1 diabetic child is one heck of a baker. :)

He made these brownies that are more like fudge one night. You must try it yourself. :) They are 20 carbs a little brownie.

My sweetheart stiring the chocolate and butter.

Ingredients:

*1/2 cup sweet butter

*4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

*4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

*1 cup light brown sugar

*pinch of salt

*1 tsp. vanilla

*2 eggs

*1/4 cup all-purpose flour

*1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the base and sides of an 8-inch-square pan with parchment.

2. Melt the butter and the chocolates in a metal mixing bowl set over a big pot of simmering water. Once melted, make sure they are all blended up together. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs once at a time with a whisk very quickly. Beat in the flour and half the pecans. When the batter is smooth, pour into the pan, sprinkle over the remaining pecans, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

3. Cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes. Lift the brownies out by holding onto the parchment on both sides. Place on a cutting board. Cut into squares and store for 3 to 4 days.

We are very blessed to have Mr. Bowman and he gives us BAGS of pecans each year. I try to find ways to use them up all year long.

Almond Bundt Cake

I made the yummiest bundt cake the other day. I mean, YUM!

You can fill it with fruit if you serve it at a dinner party or tea.

Almond Bundt Cake with Fresh Strawberries

2 Tbs. sliced almonds (1/4 oz.)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole almonds (5 oz.)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or nonhydrogenated margarine, softened
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
4 cups strawberries, halved
4 tsp. sugar
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Whipped cream for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan with cooking spray formulated with flour for baking. Sprinkle sliced almonds over bottom of pan.

Pulse flour, whole almonds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in food processor or blender until almonds are finely ground.

Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes, or until creamy. Beat in oil. Gradually add sugar, and beat 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and almond extracts, and beat until blended.

Alternately fold flour mixture and buttermilk into butter mixture with spatula, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 additions of liquid. Spread batter in prepared pan, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top springs back when touched and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Unmold onto rack, and cool completely.

Toss strawberries with sugar in medium bowl. Chill 1 hour to let strawberries release their juices. Serve cake dusted with confectioners’ sugar and topped with strawberries and whipped cream, if desired.

This recipe comes from www.VegetarianTimes.com.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are nothing new. But make them into muffins, and everyone will want to trade lunches with you.

Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cups flour

* 2/3 cup brown sugar

* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

* 1 egg

* 3/4 cup milk

* 2/3 cup chunky peanut butter

* 1/4 cup vegetable oil

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* strawberry or grape jelly

1. Put baking cups into a muffin pan.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and baking powder with a rubber scraper.

3. Crack egg into a second mixing bowl and throw away the shell.

4. Add milk, peanut butter, oil, and vanilla to the second mixing bowl. Mix ingredients together.

5. Stir flour mixture into the egg mixture.

6. Spoon batter into the baking cups, filling each 1/3 full. Scoop a teaspoon of jelly into each cup. Add more batter until each cup is 2/3 cull.

7. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove pan from oven. Allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Oven: 350

Serves: 12

My Little Baker

Remy found this cookbook for children at the library and he has been whipping up some yummy things for himself. :)

This day he made Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins. He would not allow us to help.