Banana Bran Muffins

I like to bake when I’m not too tired on Sunday nights.  It’s either bread, muffins, cookies, or pies.  This past Sunday evening it was muffins.  I had bought some “All Natural Unprocessed Wheat Bran” from the market and was ready to try some bran muffins.  However, the bran muffins from my memory were chewy and needed to be frosted with a pile of butter to taste good.  I looked at the recipe on the back of the Hodgson Mill Company’s box and decided to tweak it a bit.

Here’s the recipe I used:

2 ripe bananas
1 1/2 cup wheat bran (soften in 1 cup boiling water)
1/2 cup ground flax (if you have it, if not, just substitute with flour)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup vanilla yogurt (natural...no artificial sweeteners)
2 cups milk (I used fat free)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
chopped walnuts for sprinkling on top (optional)

Measure 1 cup of boiling water and pour into a bowl.  Add the wheat bran to the water and set aside.  Meanwhile, put all the rest of the ingredients in your mixer.  Add the softened bran and mix.  Pour into muffin pans and bake at 325 for 25 minutes.  Makes 2 and a 1/2 dozen.  Enjoy!  Each muffin has 161 calories.

They turned out great.  My kids gobbled them up and asked when I would make more.  My husband said that this is a great recipe...a definite repeat.  I packaged up a few for my son’s teacher for Valentine’s Day tomorrow...she thought they were tasty!  Mrs. Jennings said, “Max, did your Mom MAKE these?!”  Max was so proud.

Swiss Chard...Easy and Tasty!

‘Tis the season to clip some chard from the garden and cook it up for dinner.  This winter veggie is quick and easy to cook as a side dish ...which is nice because between homework, piano, tennis, track, and the twins getting into things quicker these days, I'm too busy to fuss with much!  I’m sure there are many variations as there are seasonings to this one.  Just go with what you like. 

 Here’s what I do:  After washing the chard, I chop it up into strips while I sauté an onion (on medium heat) in some olive oil with a little salt and pepper.  Yes, I even chop and cook up the stems.

Fresh from the garden, washed, chopped and ready to cook.

Once the onion is soft and a little browned, I add some minced garlic.  I love the smell of garlic as it hits the pan!  I immediately add the chard and a table spoon of water.  Toss it to coat the chard with some of the onion/oil/garlic/salt/pepper mixture and cover to begin the steaming process.

I added crumbled bacon to this recipe.  It is served with a pot roast, baked potato and some steamed broccoli.

Chard is a lot like spinach and it will wilt nicely and absorb the flavors that it’s cooked with.  It only takes a few minutes.  Toss it a few more times and enjoy!

Yay for quick and tasty winter garden veggies!!!  Now, off to an Orthodontist appointment...

Quick Quinoa Dinner

It was 5:20 and I was snuggling with one of my babies who wasn’t feeling well.  I had not planned dinner and I knew my people would be hungry very soon if not already.

I thought spaghetti with meat sauce would be easiest, but when I opened the fridge I remembered that I had made some quinoa yesterday and it was just sitting there.  I also had some fresh vegetables and cooked chicken breasts too.  I googled “quinoa, vegetables” and found a recipe entitled: Quinoa Primavera.  Close enough.  I didn’t even have time to read the whole recipe.  I just looked at the ingredients and the picture and thought “I can do that.”  So I did.  Here’s what we had for dinner:

Garden celery!

olive oil
1/2 chopped onion
celery...from my garden!
1 cup chopped kale
diced red and green bell peppers
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 diced green zucchini
2 diced yellow squash
diced cooked chicken breasts

Because I was in a hurry, I turned on the pan (and a TV show for the kids) and began a mad chopping session.  I sautéed the onions in olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  I added each of the rest of the ingredients in order as I had them chopped and ready.

I put the cooked quinoa in a 9x13 baking dish and poured the vegetable and chicken mixture over the top.  I tossed it lightly and drizzled a tiny bit more olive oil on top.  I topped it with some shredded mozzarella.  I am still making this up as I go ...and as I put it in a 325 degree oven, I thought to myself, “I hope this turns out.”

I had my kids quickly set the table while I popped some homemade "sesame, whole wheat, flax bread" in the toaster.  I did it.  We were ready for dinner at 6pm.

Still, as I was dishing it up to each of my kids, I thought...”I have no idea how this is going to taste...I hope they eat it up and love it!”  It seemed way too healthy.  I doubted they would like it.  Seriously, quinoa? vegetables?

They loved it.  Whew!  Another night saved in the nick of time!  Jeff came home as the boys were in the tub and appreciated the healthy meal...and said it was pretty tasty too!

P.S. Cook quinoa like rice.  One cup quinoa to 2 cups chicken broth.  To add some more flavor, substitute 1/4 cup of the chicken broth for fresh lemon juice.  Simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Chicken Stock Secrets

Homemade Chicken Stock is hands down the best tasting broth around...and it’s actually quite easy to make.  When I buy chicken, I usually buy chicken breasts with skin on and bones in.  Not only is it cheaper, it will save you money and you'll have healthier and tastier meals.

Every time I roast a whole chicken or a tray of chicken breasts, I save all the bones and seasonings that are left after taking off the meat.  I toss it all into a gallon ziplock bag, date and label it “for chicken stock” and throw it in the freezer.  Then, when I need chicken stock for a recipe, I know that I’ll have what I need to make great chicken stock.

The secret to great broth?  Rosemary and Sage.  These two plants are my most used herbs in my garden.

Basic Chicken Stock:
leftover chicken parts (bones and skin)
1 onion
garlic cloves...about 5???
about 4 carrots
about 4 celery stalks
about 1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper or peppercorns
a sprig each of rosemary and sage (come over and I'll share!)

Wash and roughly chop the vegetables.  No need to dice or slice.  I don’t even peel the carrots. Put the chicken and all the ingredients in a stock pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 4 hours...while you do all those other things that you have to get done!  Strain through a colander and put in the refrigerator overnight so you can skim off the fat before you use it.  I like to use it within a few days of making it.

Tonight, I made “the best chicken noodle soup ever, Mom!”  It was good.  The secret is in the broth...wink wink.

January Plantings

I was buying lettuce at the grocery store yesterday and my 9 year old son says, “Can’t we just make lettuce?”  Huh, I thought...make lettuce?  “What do you mean?”  “You know, can’t we just plant some seeds and grow it?”  Yes. Yes, we can.

So today, on a cold day in January, "we" planted lettuce, kale, and beet seeds.  I also pulled some weeds while they dug holes looking for worms.  It was nice to get the rest of one side of my garden planted.  The ground was still soggy from all our rainy weather but by the end of our gardening session together, we began "making" our lettuce.  You know it's a good day when your shoes are full of mud and you're growing food for your family.  It was a good day.