Cheesy Beef and Pasta

How many of you have purchased a cardboard box with pasta and a "seasoning mix" hoping for a quick but wholesome meal? I think we might all be able to raise our hands. I bought them early in my marriage, even though I was already an experienced cook. I look back now and I can't really understand why I did, but I think the convenience allured me. Let's admit, the concept is pretty fabulous - brown some meat, pour in water, milk, seasoning, and pasta. Twenty minutes later you have dinner. Plus they come in so many different flavors. Have you read the ingredients though?  

Last week I was working on recipes that are healthier than the boxed versions and can still be on the table in 20 minutes. The first one I came up with is Cheesy Beef and Pasta (I'm working on other flavors). It's not gourmet, but it tastes so darned good and will probably take you back to your childhood a little. It was a huge hit with the kids, they ate every last piece of pasta left in the pot. It's a great meal for those hurried nights when you want to get something on the table without all the fuss. Make a quick salad while the pasta's cooking then scoop ladles full in bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream. Dinner. Done.

Cheesy Beef and Pasta "Hamburger Helper"
Serves 6

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces whole wheat or rice pasta
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beef to pan, break apart meat, and cook until browned. Make a well in the center of the pan and add the garlic, paprika and salt. Stir in the middle of the pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and then stir spices into the beef mixture. Whisk together hot water and arrowroot and pour into beef mixture. Stir in milk, cream and pasta. Bring to a boil and then decrease heat to low and place lid on top. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove pot form heat and stir in cheese and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Back-to-School Lunch ideas and Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

It's been a great week. We're getting used to our school routine and I'm enjoying getting back to the gym each morning. I really missed the gym this summer!

Last week, I gave you tips on nourishing breakfasts and today I want to share my ideas for packing a healthy lunch. I like to keep things simple for lunch. I could give you ornate recipes but really, who has the time? My goal is to help you move away from boxed, processed foods and towards wholesome real food - so you know exactly what you're feeding your family. Because mornings can be hectic, I strive to keep the fridge and pantry stocked with the necessary foods so we can throw together healthy lunches in just a matter of minutes. Since I like to keep things simple, I have a list of foods to buy instead a list of recipes.

Sliced organic meats (if you can't find organic try to find meats without preservatives. Especially nitrates)
A variety of cheese: raw cheddar, Monterrey Jack, and mozzarella
Cucumbers
Carrots
Homemade Ranch, for dipping
Fruits, of all kinds
Homemade hummus
Yogurt
Granola
Nuts - pecans, almonds, cashews
Frozen berries
Whole wheat tortillas
Whole wheat bread (I prefer sprouted wheat or sourdough)
Organic corn chips
Olive oil potato chips
Organic fruit leather (Trader Joe's also carries a great variety)
Hard-boiled eggs
Canned tuna
Homemade Beef Jerky

Before school starts each year I sit my kids down and have them tell me what they would like in their lunches. Their tastes change, so I always want to have healthy foods they enjoy for lunch. The girls make their own lunches. We started this as soon as they began school and it's worked like a charm. They decide what they're going to eat with only one rule: they must pack at least one vegetable in their lunch every day. I wake them up 15 minutes early and after they're dressed, they make their lunches while I get breakfast ready. It works for our family and helps the kids learn a little responsibility. Since they pack their own food, they rarely return home with uneaten items.

Here are some of the things we pack:

1. Whole wheat tortilla with cheese and cilantro (put on a skillet until cheese is melted and serve at room temperature)

2. Yogurt with frozen berries and honey drizzled on top (by the time they get to school, the berries will be thawed, but still nice and cold)

3. Sandwiches and wraps - get creative. Use different condiments along with avocado, cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, roasted bell peppers and cheese. My daughter also likes to put a few olive oil potato chips in her sandwich. She calls it "crunchifying" the sandwich.

4. Carrot sticks, cucumbers, and any other vegetable they like with homemade ranch or hummus.

5. If your child enjoys salad, I suggest this container. Layer vegetables in the bottom bowl and pour in a bit of dressing in the top compartment. When it's time to eat, simply push the button and the dressing pours over the salad. Shake, and your done!

6. Here are a couple other salads that taste great at room temperature: Mexican Quinoa Salad, Wild Rice Thai Salad 

7. Sometimes I pop popcorn for a fun addition to lunch. You could also make some homemade Cracker Jacks.

8. Quick tuna salad - combine drained tuna with about a tablespoon of mayonnaise, chopped pickles and celery. My daughter loves this either by itself or on whole wheat toast.

9. Larabars make an easy, quick addition either for lunch or to pack as a snack. Here is my recipe for Pecan Pie Larabars.

10. Caesar salad wraps - a Caesar salad wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.

11. I found this recipe for coconut flour cookies the other day and can't wait to try it. Perfect for a treat at the end of lunch!

Another topic I can't stress enough is the importance of drinking water. I see to many kids packing boxed juices loaded with sugars, corn syrup, and preservatives. Even the ones that say "pure juice" have been pasteurized so there isn't much nutrition left in them. Kids need water. At the beginning of the year, buy a water bottle (I prefer stainless steel) and have them fill it with water each day. You'll save hundreds of dollars over the course of the year and your children will benefit from a much more healthy habit.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
I soak and then dehydrate all of my nuts because nuts contain enzyme inhibitors that make it difficult for the body to digest. Soaking the nuts in salt water overnight releases the enzyme inhibitors. The nuts are then dehydrated at a low temperature to keep all of the nutrients intact. The recipe for dehydrated nuts can be found here. Slightly adapted from Nourishing Traditions
Makes 24 cookies

1 1/2 cups dehydrated peanuts
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup arrowroot
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup organic whole cane sugar or sucanat
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 300°F and adjust rack to middle position. Line a large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Place peanuts in the bowl of a food processor and process to a fine meal. Add coconut oil, arrowroot, salt, whole cane sugar, and vanilla. Process until dough comes together. If the dough is a little dry, add a tablespoon or so of water until the dough comes together. Form the dough into walnut-sized balls, place on baking sheet, and flatten just a bit with the back of a spoon to make an indentation on the top of the cookie. Fill each indentation with about 1/2 tablespoon per cookie. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely.

Hashed Browns

The two questions I get asked the most are, "Why do you use so much fat in your recipes?" and "Can you give me new lunch ideas?" This week, I want to tackle both questions for you and today we'll start with the question of fat.

I rode the non-fat bandwagon for many years. I tried to eat as little fat as possible (eggs were completely shunned in our house, along with butter and whole milk) but never felt good or satisfied. I had problems keeping weight off and my energy levels up. About six years ago, when I took on an organic diet, I began reading about the importance of fats and discovered some very interesting information. We need fats. Unprocessed, saturated fats are essential for energy, hormone production, a healthy immune system, and many other important functions. This information intrigued me, but also confused me a little. Wasn't fat bad? Doesn't fat cause heart disease? Doesn't fat make me fat? I wanted the answers to these questions so I began digging.

The low-fat message began in the 1950's with a theory called the "Lipid Hypothesis". This hypothesis proposes a direct relationship between the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet and the incidence of coronary heart disease. Ancel Keys, the researcher behind the Lipid Hypothesis received a lot of publicity especially from the vegetable oil and food processing industries. Many experts preach the validity of a diet low in fat and cholesterol for decreasing the risk of heart disease. I was shocked to learn there is very little scientific evidence to support this claim.

"Before 1920 coronary heart disease was rare in America; so rare that when a young internist named Paul Dudley White introduced the German electrocardiograph to his colleagues at Harvard University, they advised him to concentrate on a more profitable branch of medicine. The new machine revealed the presence of arterial blockages, thus permitting early diagnosis of coronary heart disease. But in those days clogged arteries were a medical rarity, and White had to search for patients who could benefit from his new technology. During the next forty years, however, the incidence of coronary heart disease rose dramatically, so much so that by the mid fifties heart disease was the leading cause of death among Americans. Today heart disease causes at least 40% of all US deaths. If, as we have been told, heart disease results from the consumption of saturated fats, one would expect to find a corresponding increase in animal fat in the American diet. Actually, the reverse is true. During the sixty-year period from 1910 to 1970, the proportion of traditional animal fat in the American diet declined from 83% to 62%, and butter consumption plummeted from eighteen pounds per person per year to four. During the past eighty years, dietary cholesterol intake has increased only 1%. During the same period the percentage of dietary vegetable oils in the form of margarine, shortening and refined oils increased about 400% while the consumption of sugar and processed foods increased about 60%." Mary G. Enig, PhD

This is just a taste of the information I've found and there are multiple studies and research from reputable doctors and scientists that suggest fat and cholesterol may not be the enemies we've made them out to be.

I'm not a scientist or doctor but here's what I've learned:

1. A fat like butter is a short fatty-acid chain that is quickly absorbed into the body for energy and plays a vital role in the immune system.

2. Coconut oil, a medium fatty-acid chain, has high antimicrobial properties, is also quickly used for energy and contributes to the health of the immune system.

3. Olive oil is a long fatty-acid chain and supports many processes at the cellular level.

4. Polyunsaturated fats are needed in very small quantities but unfortunately, we consume them in mass quantities from processed sources such as corn, safflower, canola, and soy. High levels of polyunsaturated fats have been shown to contribute to many diseases such as cancer, heart disease, digestive disorders, weight gain, among many others.

5.We also consume too much omega-6 (mainly from commercially-processed vegetable oils) and not enough omega-3 (from pastured eggs, meats, dairy, and fish).

6. Saturated fats are needed for the health of our bones, to protect the liver from toxins, to enhance the immune system, among many other things.

7. Saturated fatty acids give our cells necessary stiffness and integrity.

8. "Evaluation of the fat in artery clogs reveals that only about 26% is saturated. The rest is unsaturated, of which more than half is polyunsaturated." (Wow!) source

After a year or two of my own reading and research, I decided the evidence was compelling enough to give fats a try. I got rid of all of the processed fats and oils in my pantry and replaced them with butter, coconut oil, olive oil, and a few others. The result? I feel better, my energy level is up. Our family as a whole rarely gets sick. Here's a big clincher, my cellulite has slowly continued to disappear over the last few years! It's not completely gone, but it has decreased significantly. Ask my friends, they saw it all happen and asked me what I was doing.

I had a friend call two years ago and tell me his cholesterol was elevated and there was also calcification in his arteries. The doctors recommended certain drugs, but along with that, he wanted to try other alternatives. I showed him what I'd learned, so he dramatically changed his diet and made sure to consume a healthy amount of unprocessed, saturated fats each day. The result? In a year his cholesterol went down (60 points), his blood pressure is normal for the first time in 20+ years and his calcification is gone. Gone! He told his doctor what he did, and after his doctor did his own research, he is now a believer in the importance of healthy fats to support the body.  [This is a doctor who's spent more than a decade advising his patients to limit their cholesterol intake and prescribing drugs to control cholesterol and blood pressure.]

I have many other friends with similar stories.

If you're reading this information for the first time, I know it can be confusing and a bit overwhelming. I understand, I was the same way. Remember, it's all about little changes. Take some time, read and research for yourself, and see what you think. I think you'll be amazed at what you find.

For further reading:

The Skinny on Fats
The Cholesterol Myths (unfortunately out of print, but look at your local library)
Fat and Cholesterol are Good For You
Eat Fat, Lose Fat (my favorite, and a very easy read)
The Importance of Saturated Fats for Biological Functions
The Oiling of America
What if Fat isn't so bad? No one's ever proved that saturated fat clogs arteries, causes heart disease. (MSNBC)
Good News on Saturated Fat (New York Times)

Today's recipe is a family favorite for those lazy mornings when I have time to make a big breakfast. Cubed potatoes sauteed in butter blend perfectly with minced onion and plenty of sea salt. I usually serve it alongside some scrambled eggs and pastured bacon.


Hashed Browns
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
Serves 4

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add potatoes, onions, salt and pepper and cook for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until the potatoes are browned and the onion is caramelized. Take off the heat and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

Because I was limited in time this week, the first and third photographs in today's post are from istockphoto.

My Favorite Green Beans

Have you given much thought to the kind of salt you use? Salt may seem like an insignificant topic, but if you want to take steps toward a less-processed diet, it's something to think about. Basic table salt is first processed at high temperatures, removing vital minerals from the salt, then it's iodized, bleached, and mixed with anti-caking agents (examples include: ferrocyanide, yellow prussiate of soda, tricalcium phosphate, alumine-calcium silicate, sodium aluminosilicate). Iodine is an vital mineral that supports thyroid function, body metabolism and reproducitive tissue health, just to name a few. The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is set at 150-1,100 mcg a day. But the amount of iodine in a moderate serving of iodized salt is 1,520 so it is easy to exceed the daily limit using even a modest amount of salt.

On the other hand, a quality, gently-processed, sea salt can offer a myriad of beneficial characteristics. The only brand I've found that fits the bill is Celtic Sea Salt. It's hand-harvested off the coast of France, dried at a low temperature and contains no additives, bleaching agents or anti-caking agents. Celtic Sea Salt provides over 80 trace minerals, helps balance electrolyte levels, and helps balance alkaline/acid levels.

I prefer cooking with Celtic Sea Salt not only for its health benefits, but also because of its flavor. The grains bring a subtle saltiness and compliment foods better than any other salt I've tried. Salt makes a great example of the entire theme of this blog. I think you'll find the flavor better than table salt and your research will make you thankful for the health benefits of the change.

I also love offering unique ways to eat foods fresh from the garden. Years ago I was often quite intimidated by fresh green beans. I'd look at them laying there in a mound, bright and green at the market and think, "What do I do besides boil them?" After thumbing through several cookbooks, I learned that green beans can be given a quick boil, and then sauteed in oil and spices to produce an easy side dish. These green beans are crisp-tender with little bits of salty garlic, ginger and a punch of heat. Grill up some chicken or fish, add some sourdough, and you'll have a simple summertime meal on the table in less than thirty minutes.  



Green Beans with Garlic
Adapted from Perfect Vegetables
Serves 4

1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoons coconut oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons fermented soy sauce (such as Nama Shoyu)

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt and beans and cook for 3 minutes, until crisp tender. Drain beans.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add coconut oil and swirl pan to coat. Add green beans and cook, stirring frequently, until spotty brown, about 2 minutes. Make a well in the center of the pan and add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring continuously until fragrant, about 30 seconds and then mix together with the green beans. Stir in soy sauce. Serve immediately.

Sources: http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-diseases/metabolic-disorders/1662-the-great-iodine-debate.html
http://www.healthfree.com/celtic_sea_salt.html

Bulgur Salad with Parsley Pesto and Grilled Chicken

This week is busy as we prepare to leave for our vacation. My week was filled with packing, shopping, and planning and more packing.  My kids are attending summer camp for a week so I've written names on each and every belonging. I'm now making healthy lunches and snacks for the road. I'm thrilled to get out of the desert for a while, feel the damp air on my skin, watch a thunderstrom roll in, catch up with old friends, and rest!

Our first destination is a place that holds very special meaning for our family. It's a camp in the southwest corner of Missouri called Kanakuk. I spent 8 summers there as a kid and it was always the highlight of my year. The days were filled with sports, crafts, hanging around down at the lake, and of course, friendships that have lasted years. My husband also went to Kanakuk as a kid, but we never crossed paths. Probably better, because he was such a cute kid - I would have been heart sick during the fall and winter months wishing I could see him.

When my husband graduated from college and I finished my freshman year, we both chose to work at camp for the summer. Just after camp started I spotted a very tan, handsome guy working at the tree-tops course. While we strapped the kids in and sent them up into the trees, Pete and I enjoyed a conversation that was the beginning of the rest of our lives.

It was a quick romance. After a few mornings sailing on the lake and a beautiful evening watching fireflies and sharing our stories, we knew we were going to get married. Fast forward 14 years later and we have two little girls who are packing their things, practicing their cheers, and completely thrillled to spend a week at the place where their parents first met.

The other day my daughter was eating watermelon when she looked at me and proclaimed, "Watermelon is like all the best parts of summer combined into one bite."  She exactly captured my feelings when I tasted this salad for the first time last week.  It's summertime on a plate . . .

Bulgur Salad with Parsley Pesto and Grilled Chicken
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 4

3 cups water
1 1/2 cups bulgur
1 1/2 cups flat parsley
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup shallots, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
4 apricots, halved and pitted
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Pour 3 cups water into a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Add bulgur, reduce heat to low, and cover.  Cook until bulgur until tender.  Drain and rinse under water until cool.  Pour bulgur into a large bowl.

Place parsley, almonds, shallots, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse 5-6 times until parsley is finely chopped.  With machine running slowly add olive oil and process until pesto is a chunky puree. 

Stir 3/4 cup of pesto and remaining lemon juice into bulgur.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Preheat grill on meduim heat.  Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Brush apricot halves with coconut oil.  Grill chicken and apricots until chicken is cooked through and apricots are slightly charred. 

To serve: Divide bulgur salad among 4 plates.  Place 1 piece of grilled chicken on each plate and top with a dollop of pesto.  Place 2 apricot halves on each plate.  Serve immediately.

The Price of Chicken

Several times a year, a friend asks me to come over, look through her kitchen, point out the unwholesome foods, and advise her on practical steps she can take to build a whole foods pantry and refrigerator.  I always get excited at these requests because it means someone new wants to make changes and I have the liberty to share new information with them.  After spending the morning helping a friend revamp her pantry last week, I realized I'm often asked the same questions.  The one I get most often is "How can I buy organic on a budget?"  Instead of giving a quick answer, I've started opening the pantry to show how.

1. Instead of buying boxes of fruit snacks, baked fruit/oat bars, processed and sugar-laden granola bars, chips, and pretzels for snacks - start snacking on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cheese.  I walked around the kitchen and showed her the real food she already had for snacks, making the "snack foods" unnecessary for her family.  This cuts down on costs and it is also much more nutritious. 

                                         
Organic "Apple Bar"               $0.92
Organic Apple                         $0.59

2. Don't buy bottles and bottles of salad dressing - make your own.
                                       
Organic salad dressing bottle     $7.92
8 oz olive oil and vinegar           $5.30

3. Instead of little snack-size yogurts (that are usually filled with sugar) buy large 32 oz. containers of plain yogurt and sweeten it with honey, maple syrup, or berries.
                                             
Organic snack yogurt             $0.75
32 oz. plain + honey              $0.42

4. Instead of boxed drinks - just drink water.  Your kids don't need juice boxes.  Buy a few water bottles, and fill them up with water throughout the day.  
                                                 
Organic juice box                 $0.82
Water                                      free

5. Don't buy boxes and boxes of popsicles in the summer - make your own.  Popsicle molds are a one-time buy and you can fill them with all sorts of nutritious juices, yogurts, and fruit.  Get creative! Let your kids create their own flavors.  They'll enjoy the responsibility of making their own, too.  Here's the popsicle mold I just bought.

Organic popsicle                         $0.94

Homemade organic Popsicle       $0.16

6. Yes, I know kids and adults alike love the famous "chicken nugget" so instead of buying factory-made nuggets, you can make your own at home.  It's easiest to make a large batch, cook them, and put them in the freezer.  This way, when it's been a long day, you can turn on your oven, throw in a few nuggets, toss a salad, and you've got dinner!

Eliminating "chicken nuggets" from your diet       priceless

**Congratulations to Kim!  You won the drawing for the stainless steel water bottle.  Please send me your contact information at deliciouslyorganic [at] yahoo [dot] com.


Chicken Tenders
In this recipe I use toasted Ezekiel bread to make breadcrumbs.  I make large batches of these breadcrumbs and store them in the refrigerator so I can have them on hand when I cook.  The chicken can be fully cooked, frozen, and baked straight from the freezer (350°F for 15 minutes).
Serves 4

3 pieces Ezekiel bread, toasted
1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenderloins, or chicken pieces cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 200 °F and adjust rack to middle position. Pulse toasted Ezekiel bread in the bowl of a food processor until fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a pie plate. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper and then coat each piece of chicken with bread crumbs. Heat a large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add butter and olive oil to pan. When foaming subsides place 4-5 pieces of chicken in the pan, making sure the pieces of chicken do not touch. Saute for 3 minutes, until golden brown and then flip and cook on second side until golden brown. Transfer cooked chicken to a baking sheet with a cooling rack placed on top. Place pan with chicken on it in the oven to keep the chicken warm. Repeat cooking process with remaining chicken. Serve immediately. 

Option: If you'd rather bake the chicken, instead of sautéing simply place the breaded chicken on an oiled baking sheet. Melt the butter and combine with the olive oil. Using a pastry brush, brush a little of the oil over the top of each tenderloin.  Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. 

Homemade Pickles and a Memorial Day Menu

Most of us will fire up the grill this weekend as we celebrate Memorial Day with friends and family. In case you're hosting a get together and need a little inspiration, I've provided a fabulous, organic menu with some of my recipes from the last few months. You may note the addition of the homemade pickles. I enjoyed preparing these pickles with my daughter the other day and when I bit into the first crunchy-salty bite, I decided they're the perfect addition to any barbeque (they also make a great hostess gift).  The recipe is so simple, I don't know why I haven't made them before! 

Grilled Hamburgers with Sour Cream and Herbs

Homemade Pickles

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

Mixed Greens Salad

Raspberry Strawberry Coolers

Oatmeal Cream Pies

So give some friends a call, fire-up the grill, and enjoy a great meal as we all remember those who fought and perished for our freedom.

Homemade Pickles
Makes 6 pickles

1 quart-sized mason jar with lid
6 pickling cucumbers, or small cucumbers
3 sprigs fresh dill
water
1 tablespoon sea salt (Celtic Sea Salt is my favorite)


Put cucumbers and dill in the mason jar.  Pour enough water into jar to just cover the cucumbers.  Add salt.  Screw lid on tightly and gently shake the jar until the salt has dissolved.  Place in a dark, cool spot for 3 days until "pickled".  After 3 days, store in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Every once in a while I get nostalgic and like to eat an oatmeal cream pie - you know, the ones that come in the little wrappers? I loved eating the little packaged snack cakes and cookies as a kid and want to find ways to make them at home without all of the extra additives and preservatives. So I'm today I'm beginning a "Little Debbie Series" where I will re-create these little treats for the home cook. My kids are thrilled with the idea as you can imagine, and I think my neighbors are going to like it too since they are the recipients of the sweets I bake.     

These pies are moist, chewy, and filled with a decadent buttercream - sweet, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth perfect.  Put one in a little package, and take it to work or stick it in your child's lunchbox without an ounce of guilt.  Now that's my idea of a mid-day treat. 

Oatmeal Cream Pies

This recipe calls for two types of whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is used in this recipe because of its buttery flavor, and whole wheat flour is used for its high protein count that gives structure to the cookie. Both flours are available at most grocery stores.

Makes: about 24 2-inch pies

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup muscovado (a rich dark-brown sugar)

1/2 cup organic whole cane sugar or sucanat (click here to read more)

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (this one is a good brand to use)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups rolled oats, pulsed in a food processor until coarsely ground

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust rack to middle position. Place butter, muscovado and whole cane sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Using beater attachment, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. With mixer on low, add egg and vanilla. Stir together flours, oats, baking soda, sea salt, and cinnamon. Turn mixer on low and slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture until incorporated.

Scoop dough using a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop (if you don't have this kind of scoop you can scoop it out with a spoon, just try and scoop the balls evenly) and put on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 11 minutes. Cool to room temperature.  

Buttercream filling

2 eggs

1/2 cup organic whole cane sugar or sucanat
1 teaspoons vanilla
pinch of salt
2 sticks butter, softened, each stick cut into tablespoons

In the bowl of a standing mixer whisk together, eggs, whole cane sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt. Set bowl over pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160 degrees, about 5 minutes. Beat egg mixture on medium-high with whisk attachment until light and billowy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add butter one tablespoon at a time. When all of the butter is added it might look curdled, but keep mixing. Turn mixer on high and beat for 1 minute until light and fluffy.

To assemble cookies: Spoon buttercream into a pastry bag with a large tip attached. (If you don't have a pastry bag, simply spoon the buttercream into a ziploc bag and snip one corner off of the bag.) Pipe about 2 tablespoons buttercream onto half of the cookies. Top the frosted cookies with another cookie to create a sandwich.

Pumpkin Pie

I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is just next week! Our family is moving to Southern California the week before Christmas (yes, I know, not the best timing) so due to thinking so much about our move (and testing recipes, and finishing up the manuscript for my cookbook) it finally dawned on me yesterday that I need to start thinking about what I am going to make for Thanksgiving dinner.

I am a huge fan of making as much of my Thanksgiving dinner in advance, and my pumpkin pie recipe can be made many months ahead of time. So many pumpkin pies I've tried are cloyingly sweet, heavy, and stick to the roof of your mouth, but this pie is light with a custard-like filling. The filling freezes very well, so you can make it and freeze it up to 3 months in advance. The pie crust can also be frozen so all you have to do the night before is: set your filling out on the counter to thaw, let your pie crust thaw in the fridge, roll out the dough the following morning, pour in the filling, and bake!

My husband loves to eat hard sauce with his pumpkin pie. Unfortunately, due to the extreme processing of the ingredients it would be down-right shameful to post the recipe (it's a mixture of powdered sugar and amaretto) but I will at least admit that it is eaten in our house on Thanksgiving. It's fun to have him in the kitchen stirring and tasting for about an hour until it's just the way he likes it. He puts the bowl in the fridge and then comes in the kitchen every 30 minutes or so to eat another spoonful. I, on the other hand, prefer to eat my pie with a large dollop of whipped cream...and I can post those ingredients.


Pumpkin Pie
Keep in mind that the pie crust recipe makes 2 9-inch crusts. 
Serves 8

1 unbaked pie shell (click here for pie crust recipe)

3/4 cup organic whole cane sugar or sucanat (to read more about this sugar click here)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon soft wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 450°F and adjust rack to middle position. Whisk together whole cane sugar, maple syrup, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and pinch of salt together in large bowl. Pour in pumpkin and whisk. Add eggs and milks to mixture and whisk until combined. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes until edges of pie are set. Cool to room temperature before serving.