Soft Sugar Cookies with Lemon Glaze

In case you are wondering, this is not the same recipe as my Egg-free Sugar Cookies. Why, you might ask, does one blog need 2 sugar cookie recipes? That is simple...  because they are not the same - in fact, they are quite different. And not just because one has eggs and one doesn't.

There are 2 types of sugar cookies out there. First, the super, soft and chewy kind. Second, the crunchy kind. Most people have a preference. I prefer the super soft and chewy kind. That is why this recipe needs to be on the blog. This is my FAVORITE sugar cookie recipe ever!! The yogurt in this recipe keeps the cookies soft and moist (which I guess could make it kind of the secret ingredient). The Egg-free Sugar Cookies are a bit more on the crunchy side. So head over there if those are your preference.

I served these yesterday at our family BBQ for Memorial Day - they were a big hit! The lemon glaze makes for a yummy but light topping... perfect for the start of summer.

Soft Sugar Cookies With Lemon Glaze

COOKIES
1 1/2 cups sugar (for a healthier option choose raw)

1 cup coconut oil (consistency of shortening - if yours has melted, but it in the fridge for a bit before adding)

3 eggs

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp pure vanilla

5 1/2 - 6 cups flour (I used a combo of kamut and white whole wheat - check out Whole Grains 101 for more info)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp real salt

GLAZE
2 Lemons

Confectioners Sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and coconut oil. Beat the eggs and add them to your bowl. Add Greek yogurt and vanilla. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine 5 cups of flour (notice this isn't all the flour listed above - pay attention, there is a good reason), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix together.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the last 1/2 cup to 1 cup flour as needed. How much flour you use will depend on what type of flour you choose. I used all 6 cups and wish I would have used just a bit less (but I mixed all my flour together with the baking soda and powder, therefore I had to put it all in my cookies. They still tasted good, but were a bit drier than I would prefer).

Chill dough in fridge for at least 15 minutes. It can be left overnight if needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough out to desired thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Bake on greased cookie sheet (or use a silpat) for 8 - 10 minutes, depending on thickness.

Allow cookies to cool completely before glazing (is that a word? Well, it is now). 

While the cookies are cooling, prepare the glaze. Start by zesting 1 lemon in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, juice both of the lemons. By using 2 different bowls for the zest and the juice, I ensure that no seeds get left in the glaze by hiding themselves under zest. There is probably a better way, but this works for me.

Mix zest with juice, whisk in confectioners sugar by the spoonful to the juice/zest until desired consistency is reached. For thinner glaze, add more lemon juice. For thicker glaze, add more sugar.

When the cookies are completely cool to the touch, glaze away. There are 2 options for adding the glaze. You can either drizzle it across the cookies or spread it with a knife. Your choice... equally delicious both ways!

Jana

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No Cook Oatmeal

I had plans to post this a bit earlier this morning, but thanks to the lightning early this morning, we thought our computer had been fried. Luckily, it did not fry and everything is safe but it was off limits for a time this morning. But now, we are back on track and ready to post.

I am very excited that the school week is finally over! Some weeks just seem longer than others and, for me, this was one of those. Here's to a long weekend to relax.

Now, for the last recipe in this week long segment, I wanted to post a more "adult" recipe (meaning this is one my kids really don't like).  I learned this recipe from Desiree at Unconventional Kitchen. Check out her site for tons of great tasting, healthy recipes and lots of tips for eating better. She also has a lot of information about eating gluten free.

Back to the oatmeal... I LOVE, LOVE this recipe. I find that I crave it a lot and could eat it almost every day. I will be sad when fresh berries are no longer available because they are the best with this oatmeal. It is super easy to throw together and is lighter than cooked oatmeal. This oatmeal keeps me full all morning and gives me tons of energy. Sounds amazing, right? It is!

You can make this in any quantity and mix or match ingredients according to your taste and what you have on hand. I generally just throw things in (without measuring) until it looks (and tastes) right to me.

No Cook Oatmeal

Old-fashioned Oats (not instant)

Raw Honey

Coconut Oil

Cinnamon

Chopped nuts (I use a mix between walnuts, almonds and pecans - whatever I am in the mood for)

Almond Milk

Kefir (optional, but has a ton of good probiotics)

Fresh fruit (anything you have on hand, but berries are especially yummy!)

If your coconut oil is solid (meaning it is cold in your house), scoop some into a small bowl. Place the small bowl inside a larger bowl full of hot water for a few minutes until it becomes liquid.

Combine the oats, chopped nuts, raw honey, coconut oil and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix well to incorporate all of the coconut oil. If you leave it just sitting (without mixing), you will have hard chunks of coconut oil when you pour in the milk. Not very tasty - trust me.

Chop your favorite fresh fruit and throw it on top.

Pour almond milk (and kefir - if using) over the whole thing. You can let it soak for a few minutes if you have time or eat it right away.

Recipe adapted from Unconventional Kitchen

Jana

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Sloppy Joes

Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver
I think sloppy joes are an american tradition. They are kid-friendly, easy and quick and everybody loves them. What they generally aren't is super healthy - especially when made with the canned stuff. Yuck! No offense to those who might like the canned stuff, but it really is full of artificial everything! So, for those of us who want a healthier option, this one is AWESOME!

My kids eat this up like it is going out of style and always cheer when we have it (one of the few dinners they get really excited about). We love to serve it on whole-wheat buns and pair it with coleslaw (or salad- for those who choose not to like coleslaw), and fresh, locally-grown corn on the cob.

I choose to make home-made barbecue sauce to go with ours. I find that it isn't hard to make and if there is any leftover, it can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for longer. That way we avoid high-fructose corn syrup and any other preservatives. I like the one below because it doesn't use ketchup (full of sugar) and it does use molasses. We like using  blackstrap molasses for the flavor and also for the health benefits. Try out your favorite barbecue sauces and see which one you like best.

I have found that I can hide different vegetables in this when they are cut really small and cooked with the meat. My kids don't particularly like bell peppers, but they have never complained about them in this. I would love to hear what veggies you successfully hide in this dish!

1 lb. ground beef or turkey*

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 - 1 cup bell peppers, any color (the more colors, the better), diced

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed**

1 cup barbecue sauce (see recipe below)

1 squirt of mustard (optional)

dash of salt

*If you can afford the up-front cost, buy grass-fed beef raised by local farmers, than use it sparingly. 1/4 of a cow will last my family of 5 a full year.Grass-fed beef is so much tastier and healthier, without added hormones and other undesirable stuff. If you buy ground turkey, look for the highest quality.

**Rinsing reduces the amount of sodium, but if you can look for reduced-sodium or no-sodium beans. Better yet, cook them yourself in a pressure cooker!

Brown meat, stirring and breaking up meat as it cooks. While meat is cooking, combine the barbecue sauce and all the drained beans. Bend with a blender until smooth. Pour off all liquid from the skillet and add the onions, bell peppers, carrots and whatever other veggies you want to add. Cook, stirring until all remaining liquid is cooked off, the meat begins to brown and the veggies have softened. Add the bean sauce puree to the skillet. Bring to a boil and adjust heat to simmering. Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. If you find that it gets too thick, just add a little water as needed. Serve on whole-wheat buns and lettuce.

Barbecue Sauce
Recipe adapted from The Kitchn

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Dash of olive oil

1/4 red onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp cumin

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp blackstrap molasses

2 Tbsp sucanat (or brown sugar)

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp brown mustard

1 tsp salt

pepper

Heat splash of olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Reduce heat to low and add the tomato paste and cumin. Mix well.

Add the tomato sauce and all remaining ingredients. Stir until combined and heated through. Adjust salt, pepper or other seasonings to taste. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, if you prefer thinner sauce.

My picture doesn't show lettuce on the sloppy, but trust me and give it a try - it is yummy!

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Dairy Free Cole Slaw

There are a few more weeks of summer and maybe you still have some family reunions or get-togethers to attend. Coleslaw is always a perfect side dish for any BBQ or outdoor family gathering. I am a sucker for some good coleslaw, but have had a very hard time finding a great recipe that I can make at home. I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of coleslaw now, having tried so many different recipes. Most were ok, but there was always something missing and I could never figure out what it was. Not to mention that most coleslaw isn't that healthy, despite having cabbage and carrots in it.

After going to a family BBQ last year, I was introduced to the perfect make-at-home coleslaw - Brookville coleslaw. I have seen versions of this recipe all over the internet now but I believe the original stems from a hotel in Kansas (The Brookville Hotel) that is famous for it's old fashioned chicken dinners.

Now, I had a few issues with the original recipe. One being that used heavy cream as an ingredient and the other was the amount of sugar. I have always had issues using heavy cream - I am just weird like that. I don't like giving my kids super high fat dairy products (except maybe the occasional bowl of ice cream) and we had The Princess's dairy allergy to deal with. So, I set out to "healthify" (is that a word?) this recipe and it turned out dairy free in the process. A double bonus.

Now, my hubby thinks that without the cream it is lacking a little but I disagree in this instance. However, if you don't have issues using heavy cream, go ahead and give it a try. You can decide for yourself which you prefer.  So, choose your method and lets get mixing!

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup sugar (ALOT!!)*

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1 cup raw cashews**

1 cup water**

1 bag coleslaw

1 bag broccoli slaw (which I have found at my local Walmart)

* You have a few options here. You can substitute turbinado sugar. You can also cut the sugar down to 1/2 cup. I don't like things super sweet so it works for me. If you want to cut the sugar down but need more "sweet" add a bit of agave nectar to taste.

** This is what replaces the heavy cream. Raw cashews blended with water in a high-powered blender produce a nice "cream" that can be used to replace heavy cream in recipes. Obviously it won't make whipped cream, but it is very helpful when making sauces and soups. If you want to keep the cream, use 1 cup.

About 1 hour before serving, blend water and cashews in a high-powered blender until creamy. Add salt, sugar, cider vinegar mix. Pour over coleslaw and broccoli slaw. Mix well and refrigerate until serving.

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Ice Cream Crunch Bars

Adapted from Our Best Bites
Please, do not die of shock that another post is coming so quickly after the last one! I am really trying to do better. And, while trying to organize all my recipes, I came across one that I had originally planned on posting in July as part of our ice cream month. I guess it is time to find a better method of organizing!

But I digress... this recipe is very much a summer recipe, so it needed to be posted before the summer is over. I cannot believe we are in the last few days/weeks of summer. Many kids have already started back to school (thankfully, mine still have a few weeks of summer). And since we are only 8 days out of July,  we can still enjoy some ice cream recipes.

These are super yummy, but weren't the healthiest thing, so I set out to make them healthier. While we all love a good treat, a healthier treat that is still delicious is even better! They were originally allergen free (at least egg and peanut) so nothing needed doing in that area. Unless you have a true milk allergy, than you would want to substitute the butter and ice cream for a vegan version (or healthier yet, coconut oil and dairy-free ice cream made with coconut milk).

Now... for the recipe.

2 1/2 cups Brown Rice Cereal *

1 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut **

3/4 cups sucanat (or brown sugar if you don't have any sucanat)

pinch of cinnamon

1 stick real butter, melted

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

* I bought my brown rice cereal at Winco. If you have a Winco near you, it was much, much cheaper than at a health food store.

** You can buy unsweetened shredded coconut at a health food store. Try to avoid the kind at a grocery store as they generally all have added sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13 inch pan with foil, extending a little over the edges of the pan.

Place brown rice cereal, pecans, coconut and sucanat in foil lined pan - like so. Well ok, they can be in any order in the pan so it doesn't need to be exactly the same but you get the point.

Drizzle melted butter over mixture and combine well. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon over ingredients in pan and mix. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven when toasted and golden brown and let mixture cool completely (very important).

Remove half of the crispy mixture and spread remaining half in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Gently spoon softened (not melted) ice cream on top of mixture. Use a spoon and gently spread mixture, being careful not to lift crisp from bottom of pan. Spread ice cream out evenly and then top with remaining crisp mixture. Gently press top crisp into ice cream with hands. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and chill overnight. FYI...I put this into our regular freezer and it didn't freeze very hard. It did better in the chest freezer at 0 degrees.

When ready to serve, use foil to completely remove ice cream from pan. Slice into squares and try not to eat the whole pan by yourself!!

Jana

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Fudgesicle Frosty

Recipe slightly adapted from Blendtec (Fresh Blends Cookbook)
July is National Ice Cream month and that is something worth celebrating. So, we are here to celebrate with another ice cream recipe (that brings us up to 2!). Maybe by the end of the month we might make it to 3 recipes. Summer is just so busy... but so is the rest of the year. One day I just might get used to my busy life.

We LOVE  ice cream at our house, but there are a few drawbacks to this obsession. Ice cream isn't the healthiest thing to have an obsession with. And The Princess's mild milk allergy does not allow her to eat a lot of ice cream. Even though it is delicious, who would choose it over an itchy rash. Umm...  not me. Another option is ice cream made with non-dairy milks, but these can get pretty expensive and are usually only found at health food stores or online. Funny story: not long after The Princesses was diagnosed, my hubby came home with lactose free ice cream.  He thought his would solve The Princess's problem. :) I had to explain that she is allergic to the milk protein and isn't lactose intolerant. What a sweet daddy though, trying to help! But, I digress.

My answer to our dilemma... homemade ice cream!!

This is one of our favorite recipes and believe it or not, it is healthy. It uses natural sweeteners which is a bonus when there is so much around us loaded with refined sugar. It has avocado (good healthy fat that is great for growing kids). My family doesn't particularly like avocado so this is a good way to get some in our diet. The best part... it is super fast and easy to make.

Disclaimer - this recipe does call for a high-powered blender. I use a blendtec. Yes, it has a high price tag. So is it really worth it? YES!!!! I bought mine about 3 1/2 months ago and I have used it 3-5 times a day every day. We make smoothies (love the green smoothies), salad dressings, homemade nut butters (obviously not with peanuts, but we like almond butter) and so many other things. If you are in the market for a new blender, take a minute to look into the blendtec. You won't be disappointed. I have not been paid to say any of this... I just have an obsession with my blender.  (Who knew this post would be all about my obsessions?)

On to the ingredients:

2/3 cup coconut milk (I use silk brand)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup chopped dates*
1/2 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
3 cups ice cubes

Add first 5 ingredients to jar and secure lid. Select "Sauces". Add ice cubes to jar and secure lid. Select "Ice Cream" and serve immediately.

*I buy chopped dates rolled in oat flour because they are cheaper than whole dates. They can be soaked for a bit (if you remember - which I never do) before using. I generally just throw mine in and use the "Sauce" button a couple times to make sure they get well blended.

You can even make your frosty into fudgesicles. Yum!! For a full recipe of these, substitute 1 cup ice cubes for 1 cup of plain almond milk. After blending, pour the frosty into popsicle molds, insert popsicle sticks and freeze until solid.

Jana

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Peach Crisp

Adapted from Oprah.com
Since July is National Ice Cream month, I had big plans to feature a handful of our favorite recipes that include ice cream. If you haven't noticed... there have been zero posts about ice cream. I promise, the thought was there. At least the month is only half over so I still have time.

I love peach crisps and cobblers - anything like that but they are usually full of fat and not healthy at all. I found a recipe that started out ok and made it healthier. It is still delicious. You won't know anything is missing!! Of course, it must be eaten a la mode since that is the ONLY way to go.

The princess loved it... but not her brothers. They have issues with peaches. But, since it is National Ice Cream month at least they can have the 'a la mode' part and enjoy the festivities.

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cold butter, diced
1/2 cup slivered almonds*
1/4 cup sucanat
1 1/2 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and finely diced**
2 Tbsp. honey (preferably raw, local)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. turbinado (or raw) sugar


* I haven't found slivered almonds that are "peanut-free" so I used whole almonds (found at Costco). I would suggest processing them in your food processor before mixing with the other ingredients. I put them in whole with my flour and butter and I think that is what caused some of my issues. If you can't use almonds at all, try a different nut like walnuts or pecans. If that is a no-go as well, play around with adding a little bit of oatmeal to the mixture.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a food processor, pulse together flour, butter, almonds and sugar until crumbly. To be honest, I think I pulsed mine a little bit too long (due to my almonds being whole) since it resembled cookie dough and wasn't very crumbly. It still worked out though, so no fear!

Spread mixture on a cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on sheet, then crumble into small pieces. Mine resembled small "cookies" when it came out of the oven, but once cooled, it was easy to break into small pieces and was still quite crumbly.

**Here is a quick tutorial on how to easily peel the peaches - in case you forgot how and need some help (like I did). Don't worry if your "diced" peaches are not very pretty. My finely diced peaches were really a fine mess of small peach chunks, but once they cook up it doesn't matter what they originally looked like. You really just want them in smallish pieces.

While "crisp" is baking, combine peaches, honey, lemon juice and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until peaches are tender and juices thicken slightly. Remove from heat and cool.

Spoon 1/3 cup peach mixture into each of 6 cups or serving plates. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons crisp. Serve with ice cream (because would you really want it any other way?)

Since my boys wouldn't eat any, there was quite a bit leftover. I think it would freeze really well but I don't know for sure because I ate some every night for a week until there wasn't any left to freeze. It really was that delicious!!

Jana

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Eat Well, Spend Less

Summer is always a crazy time of year with so many activities and vacations planned. Sometimes healthy eating goes out the window along with the schedule, but it doesn't have to. It is always better to be prepared and have a plan, but when food allergies are in the mix, it is that much more important. Having healthy meals and snacks planned and prepared in advance can prevent a crisis and save money!

I saw this post on one of my new favorite blogs and thought I would share it with you. May your summer be full of fun - and yummy, healthy meals and snacks!


Eat Well, Spend Less During Your Busy Summer Schedule

Jana

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