Fall cookies!

Fall officially starts tomorrow!  In order to celebrate, I made a new kind of cookie.  Yes, it was just an excuse to make something pumpkin.  No, I do not feel bad.  At least, not once I tasted these!

These cookies are not very sweet, so don't skimp and skip the glaze.  Trust me.  The glaze sets off the cookies perfectly.


Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies with a Maple Glaze

Ingredients
1 can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!  gross!)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsps cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves or allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped nuts  (I used pecans)

1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup warmed pure maple syrup

Directions
1.  Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.  Set aside.
2.  In a larger bowl, mix the ingredients up to the rolled oats.  Once your spices, flour, and risers are well mixed, add the oats and the nuts.
3.  Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.  This dough will be dry, so you may have to mix it by hand.
4.  Place parchment paper on cookie sheets.  These cookies do not rise much, so roll them into balls and flatten.  This makes ~3 dozen cookies, depending on the size.
5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
6.  In the meantime, warm the maple syrup.  Mix the last three ingredients in a separate bowl to make a glaze.  Drizzle over cooled cookies.

The Food Bandwagon

You know how certain foods are not only in season, but mysteriously become suddenly "nutritionally trendy?"  These foods drive me crazy.  In the past it's been cranberries, acai berries, green tea, broccoli, to eat or not to eat eggs, turkey versus chicken, is coffee good or bad for you, etc...  Right now the nutritionists' are all about kale.  Kale, kale, kale.  All the health articles that have been popping up on my screen have been about the nutritional benefits of kale.

This time, I decided that instead of AVOIDING the trend, I'd jump on it.  I've never tried kale.  Sure!  Why not?  Maybe it'll become a new favorite.  Maybe, since there is all this hype, there will be tons of delicious recipes to try that explain how to use kale.  Right?

WRONG!

My kale-tastrophes have included kale chips, kale smoothies, kale in soup, and more smoothies.  I have, to date, found two things to do with kale that were edible.  One was delicious.  The other is meh.  And let me tell you, my bag of kale seems infinite.

But it you're interested in jumping on the food bandwagon, here are my two recipes:

Kale Smoothies


2 cups kale
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 banana
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
ice

Directions:
This is going to be a thick smoothie.  There is no avoiding that with kale.  You do want to make sure that you remove all the stem pieces, because no matter how long your kale is in the blender, those things will give you a chunky smoothie if you don't avoid them.

Blend the kale first.  Then add all the other ingredients.  For a more delicious, colder beverage, freeze your banana ahead of time.

This does NOT keep overnight.  No, of COURSE I'm not speaking from experience.  *pull out cup, uncover, sip, gag*


Potato & Kale Soup
(I'll come up with a more creative name for this later. :P)

1 bag fingerling potatoes (or 3 large potatoes cut up)
2 baked and cubed chicken breasts
1 can garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas)
1 can black beans
2 cups kale
1 packet onion soup powder
water or chicken stock
garlic & pepper to taste

Directions:
Throw things in crock pot until your potatoes are soft.  Add as much water or broth as your prefer (I like my soups heartier, so I do this sparingly).  Add the kale during the last hour or two of cooking.  Eat, enjoy!


P.S.  It's the soup that is delicious.

Chicken Salad Wraps

I am eating one of these right now.  Oh my, oh my... tastebud heaven.  Whenever I make this, it's all I eat until there are no more leftovers.  Here's whatcha do:

Filling
10 oz bag of shredded cabbage
2 eggs
3 oz (approx 1/3 of a bag) pecans
4 oz dried cranberries
1/2 cup mayo
3 chicken breasts

Dressing - Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbl honey
2 Tbl dijon mustard
mustard seed & celery seed to taste

Directions:
1.  Put the chicken breasts in a crock pot with 1/2 of the dressing recipe.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours or until completely cooked.  Your house will smell heavenly and drive your cats insane with desire.  Drain the chicken and allow to cool completely.
2.  Boil the eggs.  Allow to cool completely.
3.  Shred chicken (it should fall apart), dice eggs, and mix all of the remaining ingredients, including the last half of the vinaigrette, in a large bowl.  Refrigerate, and serve on tortillas.

The pictures are bad because I was too busy eating to get a proper camera. 

Do you see how beautiful this is!?

On it's way to my mouth!  (Make a plane noise! Pbbbbb!)

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

I love oatmeal raisin cookies.  But my love for cookies doesn't come anywhere near my love for muffins.  I decided to have the best of both worlds and concoct oatmeal raisin muffins!  The results were delicious!

1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup buttermilk (or one cup milk + 1 TB vinegar)

1/3 cup apple sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup agave nectar OR 2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup raisins

Instructions
This recipe makes 12 perfect muffins.  They don't rise much, so don't be afraid to use all of the batter in the tins.


1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin pan with paper muffin liners or grease the pan.
2.  Mix the oat bran & buttermilk.  Set aside to let stand for ten minutes.
3.  Beat together the applesauce, egg, agave nectar/sugar, & the vanilla.  Add this to the bran & buttermilk mixture.
4.  Sift together the flours, baking soda & baking powder.  Add to the bran & buttermilk mixture.  Stir in raisins.
5.  Bake muffins for ~18 minutes.