100% Whole Wheat Pitas

I decided to take a 100 day real food challenge. It really hasn't been that hard and I am thinking of just incorporating it into my life period. It is a better way to live and I really feel better not bogged down with processed food substances.

I have actually eaten some really yummy stuff.

I already had a pita recipe but had tried it with 100% whole wheat and they were not soft or very good. Kind of like cardboard. I went searching online and found this recipe. I have made it twice already because they keep getting eaten so quickly- caprese pitas, chicken salad pitas, pita pizzas, even just eating them plain. They are that good.


100% Whole Wheat Pitas
makes 12 pitas

1 1/2 C warm water
1 T yeast
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp honey
1 T vital wheat gluten
4-5 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt

Pour the water, yeast, oil, wheat gluten and honey in and electric stand mixer with dough hook and let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium speed for one minute. Turn the mixer lower and mix for two more minutes. Take the dough out and knead on a slightly floured counter until it is elastic and smooth. Let rise for 2 hours or until doubled.

Put a large cookie sheet in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees.

Turn out the dough and knead again for a minute or two. Cut into 12 pieces and shape into balls. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and let proof for 20 minutes.

Toll each one out into a medium circle. Cook 2 at a time by placing on the hot cookie sheet in the oven  for 3 minutes.They will puff up during cooking. Remove from oven with a spatula. Do not take the cookie sheet out of the oven.

Store in a plastic bag either on the counter or in the fridge. Stuff with yummy stuff!

Basic Waffles and Homemade Syrup

Back lots of years ago, I made a cookbook for all of my siblings and parents. That cookbook has seen incredible use and so many pages are missing from it. I have the original and really do want to make news ones but have just not had the time to do it. This morning I grabbed a page from the book that has been ripped out and is yellow with wear and food stains to make the basic waffle recipe. It is a good one and quick and easy!

Basic Waffles
1 3/4 C flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 C milk
1/2 C oil

Throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend. Cook on a waffle iron!


Homemade Pancake Syrup
1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
1 C water
1/2 tsp mapleine flavoring

In a saucepan bring to a boil the sugars and water for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the mapleine. Cool to thicken and keep in the refrigerator.

Glazed Donut Muffins

These.are.amazing!!!

Glazed Doughnut Muffins
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For the Muffins:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk

For the Glaze:

• 3 tablespoons butter; melted
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons hot water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla until just combined. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.
3. Spoon batter into cups, filling the cups, and smooth tops. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake until muffin tops are a pale golden and springy to the touch, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 10 minutes before glazing.
4. To make the glaze, In a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk until smooth.
5. When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. Once hardened, dip a second time  and allow to harden then serve.

Yields: 12 muffins

100% Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

I haven't had a good cinnamon roll in a really, really long time. Problem solved! These were so light and fluffy I had two. Plus the brown sugar cinnamon pooled at the bottom of the pan and caramelized the bottom of the cinnamon rolls. Perfection!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

In a bread machine place in order listed:
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 C honey
1/4 applesauce
2 T vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 C warm water- Between 110 and 115 degrees
1 T yeast
2 C hard red wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2-3 C white wheat flour

Put on dough cycle and let the machine do it's business. Once it is done take the dough out and roll into a large rectangle. Smother with butter, sprinkle with obscene amounts of cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll up long ways and cut into 12 very large rolls.
Place on a large cookie sheet- this is important. If you put them in a 9x13 pan you will get doughy rolls and we do not want that! Let rise until double. This may take awhile since you are using whole wheat. It took mine 1 1/2 hrs.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes.

Top with the following cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 C butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 C powdered sugar

In mixer beat cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Spread on to warm rolls.

Grandma's Pancakes

Almost every single Monday in our house you will find pancakes being cooked on the griddle. This recipe is one my mom used to make for us when we were kids. I still love them to this day! So simple and so good.

Grandma's Pancakes
2 C flour (I usually use whole wheat)
2 T sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 c milk (buttermilk is great too)
1/4 c oil

Whisk all the ingredients together and pour onto a hot griddle. Serve with peanut butter and syrup and enjoy!

100% Whole Wheat Bread

 

A couple of years ago I abandoned the need to buy bread by making my own. A friend had given me her recipe which included white flour and brown sugar. I wanted something more nutritious and what resulted was our current staple of whole wheat bread. I can not remember the last time I bought a loaf of bread. The kids LOVE to have their sandwiches for school on this bread and actually will not eat store bought bread anymore. 

Ninny's 100% Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/2 C warm water

1/4 C applesauce

1/4 C  honey

1/2 C olive oil

1 T yeast

2 T vital wheat gluten (I find this in my bulk bin section at the grocer)

5-6 C whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

I throw all the ingredients into my bread machine and put it on dough cycle. Then take it out and form into 2 loaves and rise again. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Healthier Banana Bread

I set a goal this year to only have refined sugar 52 times- once a week. So when I made banana bread yesterday and the aroma of goodness filled the house I wanted some. But not enough to use one of my days. Today I tweaked my banana bread recipe and enjoyed two pieces of yumminess with out all the guilt.

Healthier Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas
1/2 c agave nectar
1 egg
1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a loaf pan.

Mix the bananas and agave until smooth. Add the egg and oil mixing well. Mix in the dry ingredients and then place in the pan. Bake for 1 hour or until done when a knife is inserted. Let cool.

Empty Tomb Rolls

Every Easter we have a tradition of making Empty Tomb Rolls. The kids look forward to it every year. It represents the empty tomb on Easter morning. And they are yummy!!!

Empty Tomb Rolls

1 c. water

1 egg

2 T butter

3 1/4 c flour

1/4 c sugar

1 t salt

3 tsp yeast

12 marshmallows

butter

cinnamon and sugar

Mix water, yeast, and sugar and wait 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Let rise until double. Punch down and shape into rolls. Break into 12 pieces and put one large marshmallow in each roll. Making sure to seal the edges. Place in pan and brush on butter and then sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over them. Let rise again and then bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. The marshmallows melt making a hollow center! Makes 12 rolls.

Matt's Tortillas

I made tortillas a week or two ago. They were gross! So the hunt began for a good tortilla recipe. Today Matt felt the 'itch' that accompanies his inspirations and the result was THE perfect tortilla recipe. Seriously. the. perfect. tortilla. I could eat these things all day long.




Matt's Tortillas
serves 8

2 C flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 T lard
3/4 C warm milk

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in the lard until well combined- like pie crust. Add the milk. Mix with your hands. Knead for a few minutes. Cover with damp towel and wait for 1/2 hour. Roll out into 8 balls and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out and cook on a hot griddle or cast iron skillet.

Pita Bread

I can not believe that I have not shared this recipe yet. It is a staple in our house. I do it two ways. One way is like a greek pita where I poke holes in it before cooking so it doesn't puff. The kids like it this way because they make pita pizzas ALL the time. Or I let it puff and we cut them in half to fill the pockets with tons of yummy goodness.


Pita Bread

3 C flour (like always I use 1/2 wheat, 1/2 white)
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp dough enhancer(opt)
2 tsp sugar or honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 T olive oil
1 C water (warm)

In a mixer mix all ingredients to make a shaggy dough. Then knead until dough is elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rest for 1 hr.
Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Place on lightly greased baking sheets and let rise again for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Make sure your oven is ready before you start to bake.
If you are making Greek pitas poke small holes through the rounds.
Bake for about 4 minutes. They should puff up. If they don't your oven is not hot enough.
Turn the pitas over and bake another 1-2 minutes until browned.
Wrap the pitas in a clean dish towel to cool (this keeps them soft). Store in an airtight container container of plastic bag.
Makes 8 pitas

187 cal, 4 g fat, 5 g protein, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar

Bagels

Bagels
5 cups all-purpose flour ( I use 1/2 white- 1/2 wheat)
1T active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar

In large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour and yeast. Mix water, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt together, and add to the dry ingredients. Beat with a mixer for half a minute at a low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl clean. Beat at a higher speed for 3 minutes. Then, by hand, mix in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Cover, let rest for 15 minutes.
Cut into 12 portions, shape into smooth balls. Poke a hole in the center with your finger, and gently enlarge the hole while working the bagel into a uniform shape. Cover, let rise 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, start a gallon of water boiling. Put 1 tablespoon of sugar in it, mix it around a bit. Reduce to simmering.
When the bagels are ready, put 4 or 5 bagels into the water, and cook 7 minutes, turning once. Drain them. Brush with egg wash. Place on a greased baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, eat hot or cold.

TWD: Pumpkin Muffins

Anyone who has read this blog at all knows that I was pretty excited for today's recipe: Pumpkin muffins. I have a recipe that I already love and was excited for the chance to love another one. The recipe cam be found here. I only made a few changes to mine: I added raw pumpkins seeds in place of the nuts that it called for and I sprinkled the top of them with sugar crystals instead of sunflower seeds. I thought they were really good and got to share them with lots of people that I adore!

Black Forest Pancakes

My mom posted these on her blog a little while back and I have been waiting for Pancake Monday to try them. My review would be: THEY ARE AMAZING!!! If you are okay with chocolate, cherries and cool whip for breakfast than this is the breakfast for you. Super yummy and actually very filling. She said my dad put peanut butter on his- which I will have to try next time I make them.

Black Forest Pancakes
1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 TBSP sugar

2 TBSP cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate milk

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 TBSP butter, melted

Mix dry ingredients. Make well in center.Combine chocolate milk, egg, vanilla and melted butter.Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.Cook pancakes on hot griddle as usual.Top pancakes with warmed cherry pie filling and cold whipped topping and enjoy.

Veggie Pockets- A new favorite!

This recipe is my new favorite meal and super easy to put together. Quick too, unless you make homemade pita bread(which is the best) and then it takes a little bit longer, but so worth it!
Veggie Pockets

8oz cream cheese, spreadable

1/4 C raw sunflower kernels

1 tsp season salt

10 pita halves

1 tomato, thinkly sliced

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 C fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

Combine the cream cheese, sunflower kernels and season salt mixing well. Spread some of the cream cheese mixture on one of the insides of the pita. Stack in your veggies and enjoy!

Pumpkin Bagels- Bread machine

I have had this recipe floating around in my car for weeks it seems. My mom gave it to me after singing its praise and I knew I had to try it.

My experience with bagels is limited. I tried to make them once before and they didn't turn out so great. Little blobs of doughy mess was the result. So I have been skiddish of bagels for awhile.

Well...NOT ANYMORE!!! I wanted them to look more like bagels than blobs so I actually rolled out the dough and cut them with a cookie cutter so they looked more like a doughnut. I won't do that next time. I will probably cut out the hole in the middle, but they rose to look just like donuts.

Anyway- try these! I wish I had some pumpkin cream cheese to complete the experience.

Pumpkin Bagels

1/2 C and 2 T warm water

3 C flour

6 T brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 C pumpkin

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 T cloves

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

1 T yeast

Place in bread machine on dough cycle according to manufactures directions. Let run through the first raise cycle and then pull out. Form into 8 balls and gently press down, putting a hole through the middle with your thumb, to resemble a bagel. In 3 qts rapidly boiling water and 1 T sugar drop bagels in to boil about 1/2 minute on each side. Then let dry on a rack for a minute or so. Spray with a little non-stick vegetable spray or do an egg wash. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes on 400 degrees.

Whala! You have pumpkin bagels!

Indian Fry Bread

Indian Fry bread, or Navajo tacos as my grandpa used to call them, is a favorite at our house. Years ago when we didn't have hardly any money to feed our family, it was a common meal, because of the few ingredients that it takes. Whenever my brother and wife would come we would have it. So it is a comfort food too!
I am trying to eat healthier now and frying things in Crisco just doesn't seem like the smartest idea. So I did these in coconut oil tonight and we all loved the taste of it. They were not greasy at all.
I just had to share this with all of you!

Indian Fry Bread

2 C flour- I use 1 C white, 1 C wheat
1/2 tsp salt
1 heaping Tablespoon baking powder
Almost 1 C water
Coconut oil for frying

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the water and mix until it forms a soft, elastic dough. Let sit for 15 minutes to 1 hr. In a frying pan heat up coconut oil until water sizzles when dropped in it. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll out with a rolling pin. Fry in the pan with the oil.

We serve ours with refried beans, lettuce, tomato, olives. You can also add some kind of meat, cheese, avocado. A favorite is just sprinkling powdered sugar on them when they are still warm and eating them that way.

Down East Maine Pumpkin Bread and Crockpot Pumpkin Butter

I found this recipe on allrecipes a few years ago and have been in heaven ever since. This recipe is absolutely amazing and with my additions of raw pumpkin seeds and flax seed you have pumpkin perfection! It is a great bread to make for gifts during the holidays and pumpkin butter as a companion makes it worth giving again and again!

Down East Maine Pumpkin Bread

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup olive oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use 2 C whole wheat and 1 1/2 C white flour)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Opt. additions: ½ c flax seed and 1c raw pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 2 loaves

I was looking for a GOOD pumpkin butter and I found it in this recipe. It is amazing lathered on the pumpkin bread!

Crockpot Pumpkin Butter

2 C pumpkin puree

1 C white sugar

1 C brown sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning

Put all ingredients in crockpot on low between 3-6 hours. Stir frequently so it doesn't burn. It thickens up as it cooks.

You're the Waffle of my Heart

This mornings recipe is not a new one but a tried and true recipe that we have loved for many, many years. They are filling and the kids love them. Plus they are a great source of whole grains and if you don't drown them in too much syrup they are actually healthy for you! Whole Wheat Waffles
2 eggs
2 c buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c +2T Olive oil (you can use butter too but olive oil is better for you)
2 tsp baking powder
2 c whole wheat flour

Throw all ingredients into the blender and blend. Bake on waffle iron.

Pumpkin Scones

My sister (if you are wondering- I have ALOT of siblings) decided to tweak my scones recipe yesterday to make pumpkin scones. I loved her idea so much that I made some myself today and I LOVE them!!! But they've got pumpkin in them so what do you expect?I am pretty confident that they would be even more amazing with pumpkin butter.

Pumpkin Scones

In a small bowl mix:
1/2 c pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg

In another bowl mix:
2 c flour (1/2 white, 1/2 wheat)
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt

Then cut in:
1/2 C butter
Add 1/4 c raw pumpkin seeds

1/8 C flax seed

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and pat into a flat circle on the counter. Cut into 8 wedges. Bake at 350 for 12- 15 minutes

Blueberry Pumpkin Pound Cake

If I lived in a world were it was perpetual Autumn I will be in a constant state of bliss. The colors of the leaves and the smell of the harvest. The hot chocolatey mornings and the aroma of pumpkin desserts filling the air. Just thinking about it makes me wish for a longer season than the one we get here in Alaska. However, this summer has been the same temperature as our Autumns and so I have had no qualms about baking the pumpkin treats that I love so much, even though it is still July.

This recipe is by far my favorite pumpkin dessert. I make it EVERY year and have to share at least half of it or else I would eat it all. This morning I pulled it out and decided to healthify it. I will post the original recipe and then my alterations next to the like ingredients. It turned out moist and filled the house with the wonderful smell of Autumn- pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg! Yummm!

Blueberry Pumpkin Pound Cake-
3 c flour (I used 1/2 white, 1/2 wheat)
4 tsp baking pwd
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp each- salt, baking soda, cloves
3/4 c butter, softened
1 c sugar (organic sugar)
3/4 c brown sugar (honey)
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/3 c pumpkin puree
1/3 c sour cream (plain fat free yogurt)
1/2 c milk (fat free)
2 c blueberries

Grease and flour a 10 in tube pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Combine flour and next six ingredients. In another bowl cream
butter, vanilla and sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin
and sour cream and mix well, then combine the pumpkin mixture
with the dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Fold in blueberries.
Bake for 1 hr 15 min