Tag: cinnamon

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe with a Twist


This past weekend I had the craving to make homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies. I asked my friend, Nancy, “What is your latest favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe? She told me that she takes any favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, and she adds cinnamon to it. My daughter, Leigh and I headed to the kitchen and made five dozen of these Chocolate Chip Cookies. We were invited to a football party that day so we brought a few dozen. Our friends later texted me that zero were left. I used the famous Nestle Tollhouse recipe and added one teaspoon cinnamon and that was it. How easy is that? They were moist, soft and even better the next day. Try this Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe with a a little twist!

Gluten Free: Grain-Free Granola

One of my food weaknesses is definitely granola so I thought I would develop a recipe for a Grain-Free Granola for all of those who can’t have grains, are gluten-free, are following the Paleo Diet or are watching their carbohydrate intake. This recipe for Grain-Free Granola is super easy to make, and it’s full of my favorite seeds and nuts. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand as all of the nuts and seeds are easily interchangeable. This granola makes a great breakfast idea stirred into nonfat Greek Yogurt or with almond milk. It also makes a great afternoon snack, a healthy sweet to put in your children’s lunch, or a wonderful dinnertime dessert served with fruit.

Start the Day Off Healthy: Oatmeal with Egg Whites

It’s a busy week ahead for me including with radio show on Magic 96.5 this Wednesday as well as a nutrition seminar this weekend at Bikram Yoga Birmingham. For both events I’ll be talking about “Healthy Eating Tips” to get your new year off to the right start. One of my top tips is to never skip breakfast. If you like oatmeal for breakfast, you’ll love this recipe for Oatmeal with Egg Whites. This simple combination is something my friend, Kelly, of Hulsey Gardens, told me she eats daily. I made mine with a touch of brown sugar and blueberries. Kelly normally adds 1 tablespoon of pureed pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and 1 teaspoon vanilla to hers. Adding sliced strawberries and ground cinnamon is also delicious. Regardless, this is one healthy breakfast recipe that has the perfect mix of protein, fiber and carbohydrates, and it is a great way to start your day and new year on the right foot.

Thanksgiving & Christmas Breakfast Recipes: My Favorite Coffee Cakes

One of my favorite things for breakfast is a truly awesome coffee cake. I crave it this time of the year, especially as the weather cools. My recipe for Apricot Almond Coffee Cake (above) was on my blog last year, and it’s so delicate and flavorful (I love the added touch of using Greek Yogurt). I have been eyeing some other recipes to try this season to serve on Thanksgiving and Christmas morning. I hope you’ll enjoy some of these recipes from some of my favorite sites that I look forward to reading on a daily basis.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake from How Sweet It is

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake from Two Peas & Their Pod

 Corner Bakery Cinnamon Creme Coffee Cake from Barbara Bakes

Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake from Cooking Light

Cinna-Bun Coffee Cake in a Jar from Picky Palate

 

Simple Summery Peach Pie

Living in Alabama does have its perks, especially living near easy access to fresh Chilton County Peaches. I have been visiting Durbin Farms since I was a child, and they still have the most unbelievable peaches. These peaches (below) were bigger than a softball, sweet, juicy and bursting with fresh peach flavor. A friend of mine passed me this recipe for Simple Peach Pie, and it really can’t get much easier than this. It’s fast with very few ingredients, and it was gone before I could turn around. When you have peaches this sweet, you don’t even need vanilla ice cream on the side, but it is a good addition :).

Classic Passover Mandel Bread

Every year my sister, Julie, and sister-in-law, Debby, make the best Mandel Bread for Passover. If you haven’t tried Mandel Bread before, it’s very similar to biscotti. It is a great Passover dessert, afternoon snack or perfect for breakfast served with coffee or tea. I will warn you that it is also super addictive, so once you start, you almost can’t stop eating it. You can make it with or without chocolate chips, but this version with lemon juice and almond extract is wonderful.

Charoseth or Haroseth Traditional for Passover

I have to apologize that I am slightly behind on my Passover recipes to share with you. I was at the Mom 2 Summit conference last week in New Orleans attending and speaking, and I honestly got behind. Many friends have been asking me about traditional Passover foods and the Passover Seder, so I must share this simple recipe for Haroseth (also spelled and pronounced Charoseth). This mixture of wine, nuts and apples is a symbol of the mortar used by the Israelites to bond bricks while they were in slavery in Egypt. It is traditional to serve this with matzoh during the Seder meal with, and without, horseradish. It has an awesome flavor, and it is always is a hit!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

I’ll admit it. I am not much of a bread or yeast cook. I’m usually too busy (or too scared). When I recently came across these awesome Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls from Cooking Light Magazine, I had to try them. For 209 calories, 3.7 grams of fat, 5.1 grams of protein, you can enjoy an amazing lightened-up Cinnamon Roll. They weren’t difficult to make, just more time-consuming than most of my typical recipes. However, they were definitely worth the work, and everyone loved having homemade Cinnamon Rolls at their fingertips. I think I really impressed the family with these (especially the kids).

Note: Thank you to Cooking Light for permission to share this recipe on my site

Breakfast Quinoa with Cranberries and Apples

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is the wonder grain and one of the best plant sources of protein. It’s loaded with protein, fiber and is gluten-free. It’s so versatile, and when my sister came across this recipe in Ellie Krieger’s book, “So Easy”, she told me I had to test it out. I changed the recipe slightly using Pink Lady apples, more cranberries and walnuts instead of pecans. It was out of this world. Her recipe suggests to top it with milk, honey and cinnamon, but it was great all by itself. I love it because it’s so easy, filling and has no added sugar. It’s also bursting with great flavor. My kids loved it too, and I enjoyed serving them a hot healthy breakfast.

Strawberry Cobbler

Cobblers are one of my all-time favorite desserts. When I was trying to decide on a recipe to feature for the February issue of the Birmingham Magazine, the first thing that came to mind was a warm succulent Strawberry Cobbler. I thought it would be different to add oats to the topping, making it lighter and healthier. The recipe worked perfectly on my first try during recipe testing (I love it when that happens). When my 3 kids said, “Mom, this is the best thing you have ever made.” I must admit, I agreed. Enjoy on Valentines, Mother’s Day or really anytime. It’s true comfort food, easy to prepare and so worth it.