Healthy Breakfast Ideas in 7QT

Linktoberfest continues. Last week, I shared my menu planning strategies to eat healthy on a tight budget. This week I am featuring my breakfast plans, since I have taken on that meal as a project to better plan and ensure the kids are getting better nutrition first thing in the morning.

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First, I make sure to purchase the following items to have on hand to round out breakfast and fill gaps between when I get to actually make something. We always buy boxes of raisins, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, organic mini shredded wheat (plain), organic vanilla yogurt, and oatmeal. A couple times a month I cook up an egg for each child.  Having easy nutritious items on hand really helps during busy weeks.

2

A favorite 're pie of ours is "breakfast cookies."  Perfect to make with overrule bananas.  If I end up with an over ripe banana or two, I stick it in the freezer, once I have about six, I make cookies.  I base the cookies on this recipe.  However, I alter it based on what I have on hand.  Instead of the applesauce, I put in two tablespoons of flax meal soaked in one cup of water. I also cut down the dried fruit and add in some sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

3

New this month are these paleo pancakes that I can't wait to try.  I plan on adding flax seeds, cinnamon, and some unsweetened coconut flakes. I am going to make a big batch on the weekend, then we can just heat up as needed.  I have six large plantains waiting for yumminess!

4

Another experiment is Chia pudding.  I'm not sure what extras I will put in this, depends on what's still available when we get there.  We have a steady stream of Autumn Berries right now, so they may make an appearance.

5

My children really like muffins, but I rarely buy them.  Now that the weather is cooler, it's time for some baking.  I am going to make these muffins, but sub in garbanzo flour for half the coconut to up the nutrition.  So, I will be using two eggs, plus two tablespoons of flax meal soaked in a cup of water.  Also, we are adding Autumn Berries to these, so I am cutting the maple syrup down to 2 Tablespoons, since the super tart berries become super sweet when baked.  I am so looking forward to these, making a double batch for sure.

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Kelly wants to know my favorite blogger that I discovered on 7QT. Well, pretty lady, that would be you!  I first came across Kelly's blog when she guest hosted 7QT for Jennifer.  It is a blog I kept coming back to, and the one that I follow the most regularly.  Thanks, Kelly, for a great blog and hosting all of us blogging ladies each Friday.

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Speaking of Kelly, I joined her accountability group on Facebook.  I set a goal of two posts this week and reading five chapters of the book I reviewed.  This is post #1 and it's Friday....gotta come up with something else, and quick!  :)

Easy Slow Cooker Meal: Ham and Black Beans and more

Dwija is having a recipe link up.  I don't have any pictures, but wanted to jump on the bandwagon.  My slow cooker is my right arm, my favorite household tool.  It's like my own personal chef.  I dump it all in the in the morning and have dinner ready for me at night.  I have a collection of slow cookers, three to be exact....maybe I should photograph that!?!

Anyway, this is my favorite easy recipe and my family gobbles it up.  it just may be the easiest recipe I have.  I like the dump and walk away technique of slow cooking.  If a recipe has multiple steps, requires extensive prep or asks to precook portions of the ingredients, I usually walk away.  My one exception is the fact that I have a slow cooker plate that works with my Kitchen Kraft pots.  I can start something on the stove and then add the rest of the ingredients before placing on the plate.  My traditional round slow cooker with removable crock is what I use for side dishes like sweet potatoes or beets.  I also use it for desserts like pumpkin pudding. 

Without further adieu, here is my recipe:

• One hambone with some ham still attached (If you like a lot of ham, add some mre in, if not put in just the bone)
• 
  
• One pound dry black beans
• 
  
• One box beef stock
• 
  
• 2 cups of water

Optional add ins:
A shot or two of Worcheshire sauce
One chopped onion
A shot of soy sauce

Place ham bone in slow cooker, pour remaining ingredients over top.  Make sure that the beans are completely covered with liquid.  Turn it on and walk away.  It has to cook at least 6-8 hours but tastes even better when it goes a little longer.  We serve it over rice, baked potatoes, or just straight up in a bowl.  Makes great quesadilla filling when left over.  We often add hot sauce to left overs and mix it with some gluten free pasta and shredded cheese for an easy Chili Mac dinner.  We can seriously get at least 4-5 meals out of one pot of black beans and ham, and my children are all very big eaters.  We just keep reusing, re-purposing, and adding a little of this or that to stretch the beans.

This recipe makes a really generous portion and I usually have more than we can eat in a couple of meals.  I freeze a large Pyrex container for another night when I don't have time to cook, and I have my slow cooker do the work of getting it heated up as well.  I simply place the frozen portion in the crock and set on low, with in 5-6 hours it is piping hot and delicious!

So, as I write this, I am feeling inspired to share more....so, let's make this a Five Fave post and link up with Jenna, too.

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Crockpot Chicken

This is the most versitle and easy recipe out there and again makes extras for left overs.

• One "family" package chicken leg quarters (if frozen start on high and then switch to low 2 hours in)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• One spring rosemary

Put chicken in the crock pot, drizzle over oil, top with rosemary.  Cook until you are ready for dinner (6+ hours) on low.   What's that you say? No fresh rosemary?  No problem.  Season the chicken anyway you like--salt and pepper; celery seed, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt; Seasoned salt and paprika; or onion powder and oregano.  Really anything you want.  We use the left over chicken in salads, soups, and pasta dishes.  I save the broth made by slow cooking and use it in place of water to make tasty rice or a delicious, hearty soup the next day.

3

Lemon Chicken

• One whole chicken with gizzard bag removed  
• One whole lemon
• salt and pepper

Place lemon inside chicken cavity, put chicken in crock pot, season with salt and pepper.  Cook on low 8-10 hours.  That's it. 

4

"Mole" Chili

My youngest son is allergic to tomatoes, that has changed our diet quiet a bit. One thing we missed the most was chili.  I develped this tomato free chili to fill that void.  Best of all, it is so easy!

• One bag of beans (We like to use pinto or black beans but you can use any bean you like)
• One onion chopped
• One small jar pickled jalepeno slices
• 1 Tbsp Chili powder
• 2 Tbsp Onion Powder
• 2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 2 Tbsp Cumin
• 2 Tbsp Paprika
• 3 Tbsp unprocessed cocoa powder (The kind for baking not hot chocolate.) 
• 2 Tbsp mini dark chocolate chips (optional--but adds some body)
• 2 baked sweet potatoes with skins removed, mashed (optional--again adds body to sauce.  I have been known to cheat and use sweet potato baby food)
• One pound ground meat, browned (optional--If you don't have time to brown the meat, just have a meatless chili, we eat it both ways.)

Add first 8 ingredients to slow cooker along with meat and sweet potatoes, if desired.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours on low until beans are tender.  Add cocoa and chocolate and cook on low an additional hour.  Serve with sour cream.

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Spinach and Rice "Quiche"

This isn't a slow cooker meal, but it is a family favorite and so easy to make.

• 1 serving brown rice (I use minute rice or left over)
• 1 box frozen spinach at least partially defrosted
• 6-8 eggs beaten
• garlic salt
• grated cheese

In a rectangular baking dish (mine is about 6 x 10) spread rice on the bottom.  Top with spinach. Sprinkle on garlic salt and grated cheese to taste, I only use a very little Parmesan cheese.  Pour beaten eggs over top so that they fill the pan and cover the rice and spinach.  Bake at 350 until middle is set.  Cut into squares and serve.

     

Any great recipes that you have to share?  Post them in the comments, please.

Gluten Free Pizza Crust in Seven Quick Takes

These are super quick takes.  I'm realizing that I should have taken a few pictures of the pizza, but it's too late every crumb is gone!

1

Since discovering that I'm gluten intolerant, live has greatly changed.  I feel a million times better than I have in well, as long as I can remember.  However, most of our Lenten Friday favorites are now off the table--literally!

2

Every summer we participate in a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and come home with bags and bags full of vegetables each week. It's been a learning experience, and I generally set aside Mondays to cook, freeze, pickle, etc the bounty. Thankfully, once Fall roles around, and school begins, we start getting vegetables that are hardy enough to last week's, even months before we have to eat them.

3

We usually amass no less than 15 pumpkins and/or winter squashes. If you are wondering where the pizza comes in, just keep reading, we are almost half way through. :) I let the children take turns picking which pumpkins or squash come home each week.  

4

Every year, Buddy invariably picks one of the largest Long Island Cheese Pumpkins he can find. While, he is fine with me cooking and storing any of his other picks, Cheese Pumpkins are his favorite. It becomes his pet for the winter.  Every time I suggest cooking it down to make this or that, I get the same response, "Mom, that recipe just isn't special enough for my Cheeeeessseee Pumpkin!"  Sigh.

5

One year, he held onto it until May!  May, folks!!! As in, half a year since he picked it. If you want to know how long a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin can last, it's a few days less than he kept it, because we woke up one morning to an exploded, rotten pumpkin. Very unpleasant to say the least. 

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So, I was once again on a quest to find a worthy recipe and since it is already late March, I had hit feverish pace. Just about the time I thought we would never cook the pumpkin, Buddy had a brain storm. "Could we make it into pizza?"

"Buddy, I will make it into anything as long as you let me cook it before it explodes!"

A boy saying goodbye to his pumpkin.

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So, here is the recipe that I created. I mixed it all in my ninjas, but a food processor or blender would work also.

3 cups cooked pumpkin

1/2 c coconut flour

3/4 c corn flour

1/4 c flax meal

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 Tbsp olive oil

Add everything to Ninja and pulse for about a minute. It will create a very soft dough.  Pour onto pizza stone and use a spatula or spoon to gentle press the dough into the pan. Work from the center out until the entire stone is covered. Put into preheated 400°oven and bake for about a half an hour, until crust is crispy and lightly browned. Top pizza with sauce, cheese, and toppings of choice and return to oven on 250° until cheese melts. Enjoy!

The after shot!

Reviews from the peanut gallery:

Hubby: "This is actually really good, even blog worthy!"

Little Man: "More, More! Yum, yum. MORE!"

Cowgirl: " I still like cauliflower pizza better, but this is nice because you can actually pick it up like real pizza, and it doesn't even taste like pumpkin."

Buddy: (My very picky eater!) "This is the best meal, ever! I love pumpkin pizza, can you make this again and again! Ahh, it's so good!"

So, there you have it! 

*If you are wondering how I cooked the pumpkin, here is my super easy, fail proof method. Wash pumpkin, rinse well, don't dry, drop in crock pot, cover and cook on high 4-5 hours. Scoop out flesh when soft. (This pumpkin I had to cut in half but still did the same method just scooped out seeds first. Don't worry, seeds and stingy goo separate from flesh SO much more easily after its cooked.)

Linking up with Kelly.

On the Feast of St Blaise--Living the Liturgical Year

Thank you all for being patient as I inconsistently blog. I have been so busy cleaning out my childhood home. It has left me exhausted both physically and emotionally.

Today is the Feast of St Blaise. As happens many years, icy roads and sniffly children has kept us from attending our parish' s blessing of the throats.  This feast is very special to our family, though. Not only is it the first traditional feast day that I introduced to my husband when he decided to convert, but it is also a namesake day of one of our children.

To make up for missing the blessing, again, I tied a red cord around two of the candles that my children made last Candlemas. I am going to have my husband bless each of our throats with the traditional blessing.

Through the intercession of Saint Blase, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.

Each person responds: Amen.

Since this is a name day for our family, I try to make a special dinner.  Here is a list of some feast related recipes:

This Double Raisin Bread Pudding  from Family Plus Food Equals Love is delicious!

Catholic Cuisine has a cute tutorial for candle inspired cookies, no baking required.

This Bubenshenkel (fried dough) sounds delightful!

None of these recipes work for our family, though, due to various food allergies. So, we are trying something different.  We will be having homemade, baked, gluten-free penne and white cheddar cheese. The penne represent the candles.  

I also read that it is common to have chicken soup, since what is better for a sore throat than chicken soup?  So, I will make a simple chicken and rice soup--organic chicken stock, frozen mixed vegetables, and brown rice. This will really help everyone with scratchy throats and runny noses. (Myself included)  I usually cook a chicken and make my own stock to turn into soup with fresh vegetables, but I'm not feeling that ambitious. ;)

For dessert, I am making Christine at Memories of a Catholic Mother's pumpkin bake. I am substituting a half cup of rice flour and a teaspoon of cornstarch for the flour, so that it is gluten free. I am going to also add some raisins, a traditional food for St Blaise, it will be our gluten-free version of bread pudding.  The pumpkin is roasting away in my crock pot, and I will use my new Ninja (a Christmas gift from my sister) to whip up the batter.  If you have never made your own pumpkin filling, you must! Simply buy a pumpkin small enough to fit in a slow cooker, the smaller ones are better for baking anyway.  Then, wash off the pumpkin, making sure to rinse very well, and place in crock pot without drying.  Cook on low until skin can easily be pierced by a table fork, usually about 6-8 hours. Once pumpkin is cooked, it is easy to split and the insides separate readily from the flesh.  Puree for extra smoothness. I often skip this step, it tastes just as good just a little stringier. An average sized sugar pumpkin yields enough to substitute for one can of pumpkin.

However you celebrate today, I hope that you are warm, safe, and well. God bless!