Back To School

The monkeys went back to school last week and I went back today.  It has been a busy time for us!  I thought I would post a few of my recipes that we use during the school week and a few ideas for store-bought items to pack in lunches.

First, breakfast.  My girls will eat pancakes 4-5 days a week if I let them, but I could not in good conscience feed them pre-packed or white flour mix pancakes.  So, I made up a whole wheat mix that I keep in a ziploc bag in my freezer.  One cup of mix, one egg, and 3/4 cup of milk and you have 6-8 good-sized pancakes. I use white whole wheat flour, which is a bit smoother than whole wheat, but still has all the nutritional benefits of the wheat. (You can also use this mix for waffles. Use all the same amounts, but add 2T of oil.)

Sometimes I am tired of making pancakes or want to change it up a bit for them.  I toast a whole wheat English muffin and add cheese and an egg to it.  Sometimes the girls like their eggs fried (in cooking spray) and sometimes they like them scrambled.  Either way you have a super nutritious Egg McMuffin knock-off. They usually can't finish the whole thing.  It is very filling!!

And don't forget my Anything Muffins! It is the perfect muffin base.  You can add anything, hence the name. :)  Seriously, though--anything you want. From blueberries to chocolate chips, bananas to bacon and cheddar! They also freeze really well, so you could make them over the weekend and pop them in the freezer.  They will be thawed by the time you get to work or leave out a couple overnight (wrapped up tight) and pop the thawed muffins in the microwave for 8 seconds the next morning.  (When I make them during the school week I use at least half white whole wheat.)  Tink's favorite muffin, though, is my Raisin Bran Muffin.

Last year, I could not get enough packed in their lunches--they kept asking for more! This year, they want a sandwich, yogurt or sugar-free pudding, and some Fig Newtons. I think it's the heat that has sapped their appetites.  Also, it's just week 2. By next week they will want totally new things.  Here are some examples of things I pack for them:

pudding and a small cheese round  or stick

yogurt

The girls LOVE red, seedless grapes.  We buy them even when they are out of season.

Cheerios or Cheez-its snack mixes

dark chocolate Chex Mix

my homemade granola bars

(those are sooooo good.  Make them today!!)

my homemade apple sauce (or, in a pinch, all natural applesauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar)

Chickens in the Road posted a homemade Fig Newtons recipe that I am dying to try!! Especially since my girls are on a Fig Newtons kick.

When my monkeys get home from school I usually pull a cookie out of the freezer or they just have a glass of juice.  They aren't usually very hungry and we eat at 4:30, so they don't have to wait long for dinner.  Any of these lunch ideas would be perfect for after-school snacks, though.

Have a successful, wonderful school year everyone!

(The winner of my first giveaway will be posted tomorrow!)

Slow Cooker Applesauce

I got this recipe for slow cooker applesauce from Tasty Kitchen. I changed up the recipe just a bit and am head-over-heels in love with the result!! I will definitely be making this again and again and again.... We ate the applesauce as a dessert after dinner, but then ate it again for breakfast and I put little tubs of it in our lunches. It is also fabulous in pancakes and bread!

You will need:

8 whole apples, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp cinnamon
slow cooker



The original recipe calls for 8 Golden Delicious, but I used a combination of Fuji (4), Granny Smith (2), and Golden Delicious (2). I would recommend using at least 2 Granny Smith apples no matter what other apples you choose. Also, stay away from the Red Delicious--they tend to be mealy.

Peel your apples. I used an apple peeler/corer, but didn't core them because it slices the apples when it pulls out the core. I don't like that.



Chop the apples into cubes, medium size and toss them into your slow cooker. No need to worry about the apples turning brown since you will be cooking them.



Add the water, sugar, and cinnamon and toss until combined.



Set your slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours (which is what I did) or on low for 8-10. I stirred the applesauce about once an hour.



After three hours smash the apples with a potato masher, but leave some chunks.
Chunky applesauce is AWESOME.



You'll never go back to the jarred stuff after tasting this applesauce. Absolutely amazing. One of my all-time favorite recipe finds!!



Try not to burn your mouth as your scarf down a huge bowl. :)



Enjoy!

Raisin Bran Muffins

Two cereals we have always had in the house are Cheerios and Raisin Bran. (Occasionally some Lucky Charms or Fruit Loops will sneak into the mix for a weekend treat.) Since we are never without them, I like to think of creative ways to use them. I toss Cheerios into my granola bars or GORP all the time. And I make muffins with the Raisin Bran. They are healthy (tons of fiber and very little fat), filling, and super tasty. My non-bread-eater, Tink, had 6 one morning for breakfast. 6! A true testament to how yummy these Raisin Bran Muffins are.

You will need:

1 1/4 cups flour (I used white whole wheat)
1 T baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups Raisin Bran
1 cup milk (skim is great)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2T oil



Preheat your oven to 380 degrees. You'll be increasing to 400 after putting the muffins in the oven. An Alton Brown trick that I love! He says that the burst of increased temperature gives the makes the muffins puff up and gives you a better muffin top. No more flat muffins! Line a 12-cup muffin tin with papers liners or grease heavily.


Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cereal. Toss.



Add the milk and let sit for 3 minutes.



Stir in the egg, applesauce, sugar, and oil. Stir until just moistened.



I use a 1/3 measuring cup and it seems to fill each muffin perfectly. I get exactly 12 with no leftover batter.



I always, always, always, put a cookie sheet under my muffin tin. It keeps the muffins from burning on the bottom and provides a more even heat. Place the muffins into the oven and crank the heat to 400 degrees. Bake for 18-20 minutes.



These muffins come out moist, not too heavy, and absolutely delicious. The cinnamon adds a nice subtle flavor that balances nicely with the bran and raisins.



You don't even need butter on these muffins, but ooooo they're good with it! :)



Wrap them in foil and put them in a freezer bag and they'll keep in the freezer for a month. Thaw them overnight and in the morning give them a quick zap in the microwave (20 seconds on 50% power) and you have breakfast to go.

Enjoy!!