Breakfast Æbleskivers (Danish Pancake Balls)

The tradition in my house to make this for breakfast on New Years morning. Let me tell you, it's a great way to start the year off. If you want to get fancy, you can even fill these with a little jam as you turn them.

2 cups buttermilk (or you can use milk with a splash of lemon juice in it)
2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
More butter or shortening (for greasing the cast iron pan)


Yes, you do need a special pan, but once you buy one of these you pass it down through generations.

Separate the eggs and use an electric beater to whip the egg whites until they are fluffy and stiff. In another large bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients until combined. Then with a spatula, carefully fold in the egg whites to keep fluffy.

Heat the pan to medium and pour a tsp of melted butter or shortening into each well.

*So the first one might not turn out the prettiest, but you do have to practice and get the technique down.*
Pour 2 tbsp of batter into each well, making sure not to overflow the sides. Once the batter bubbles around the edges (let it cook a minute), use a wooden skewer (or fork) to slowly turn the half-moon pancake over. The uncooked batter in the center will flow out and refill the well as you flip it over. Let all sides turn golden brown and set aside the cooked ones in a kitchen towel to keep warm.

Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, jam, or applesauce!

Hearty Winter Minestrone Soup

Serves 4-5 people...unless they become addicted to it, then it may be one...

1/2 an onion diced
1 diced whole head of garlic (peeled of course)
2-3 stalks of celery diced with leaves
1 carrot cubed
1 cup of fresh cut green beans
2 red potatoes cubed
1/2 a zucchini cubed
2 tsp of dry Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp of salt & pepper
Pinch of paprika (or cayenne if you want it spicy)
1 can of kidney beans (or your favorite, garbanzo or great norther are good too)
1 can of chicken broth
A splash of red wine if you have some handy
1/4 cup of pasta (your choice of shape)
A sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese
Water to add as needed as the soup cooks down

Heat a splash of oil on medium heat in a large soup pot and saute onions and garlic until soft and golden. Next add chopped celery (and some celery leaves if you have them), carrot, potato, and all the spices. Deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine, scraping the bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon and reducing the heat to a low simmer. Add the can of chicken broth and mostly drained can of beans.

Stir in the zucchini and green beans halfway through the cooking time. Feel free to add more water if the soup starts to look more like a thick stew.

Let simmer for at least a couple of hours to let the veggies cook and the broth reduce. Turn the heat back up and stir in the pasta and let cook according to the directions on the pasta container.

Serve and top with parmesan cheese. Enjoy the filling and healthy meal!

Cinnamony Snickerdoodles

During the holidays I get the urge to bake. This is one of my favorite recipes. I love things that make the entire house smell good while baking and taste great hot out of the oven. 

I based this recipe off one in "The Cookie and Biscuit Bible." A great and very tempting book :) 


Makes around 24 cookies.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees


1/2 cup of soft butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
3 cups regular flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground cloves & nutmeg
Handful of chopped walnuts (optional)


First, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs and milk. Sift in the flour, baking soda, and spices (and nuts if you want). 
Combine the ingredients until it forms a ball of dough, you may want to use a spatula to help scrape down the edges. Refrigerate for an hour or so. 


Mix together a pinch of cinnamon with a tablespoon of sugar. This is what you will roll the balls of dough in before placing on the cookie sheet. 
Roll the cold dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the bowl of sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on a silicone baking mat, parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet. Press lightly down on each ball of dough to help it spread out a bit.


Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy warm out of the oven with a glass of milk.

Simple Spiced Apple Pie

I love pie. And when you can say you are eating fruit too, well it doesn't feel as much like you are cheating on healthy eating. :)

One of my favorite recipe websites is allrecipes.com and I find some good food ideas there to adapt to my liking. That's where this pie recipe grew from.For the crust I used Grandma's Secret Pie Crust (not so secret anymore I suppose).

Following recipes equal one 9-inch apple pie.

Crust recipe (or you can use pre-made refrigerated crust):

Makes a top and bottom crust

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups shortening

1 egg

1 splash distilled white vinegar

4 tablespoons water (if you live in a dry environment, you might need more)

In the food processor mix the flour and salt and cut in shortening.

Drizzle the wet ingredients into dry mixture, cutting it in until it forms small granules. 

Turn out the mixture onto a stone countertop or rolling mat with a sprinkle of flour on it and roll thin with lightly floured pin to fit your pie pan.

Now for the filling:

1/2 cup sugar (if you don't like super sweet pies or are using sweet apples, gala vs. the more tart granny smith, you can cut the sugar in half or substitute the equivalent of stevia powder)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, nutmeg, and cloves (or your favorite pie spices)

4 large apples thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 egg white

In a small bowl, combine sugars, flour and spices until the brown sugar isn't very clumpy. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice to keep from turning brown. Add sugar mixture and stir well with big spatula (or hands) to coat. Line a 9-in. pie pan with rolled out pie crust dough. Stack rings of the apple filling into crust and dot with butter. 

Cover with the top crust and pinch around the edges so you don't get leaks in the oven. Cut a few slits in top (feel free to make them decorative). Beat an egg white and brush over the top of crust so it turns golden in the oven. Lightly sprinkle sugar on top if you feel the need. 

Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes. Increase temperature to 400 degrees F and bake 10-15 minutes more or until golden.

Let it cool before eating. That's the hardest part! :)

Easy Thin Crust Pizza Dough

This is a simple and versatile recipe. Use it for pizza, calzones, or even breadsticks! I love me a good pizza dough, plus it is a bit healthier by using whole wheat flour. But it doesn't taste healthy so I love it! The honey adds some great flavor without being overly sweet.

Whole recipe makes 2 Medium thin-crust pizzas or 3 personal-size calzones

1 package active dry or fresh yeast (a.k.a. 2 1/2 tsp)

1 pinch of sugar

1 - 2 tsp honey (your favorite kind)

1 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (finer ground than plain whole wheat flour, rises better)

1 tsp sea salt

Pepper and dry italian herbs (optional)

Preheat oven to 400+ degrees.

In a small (non-metal) bowl, dissolve the yeast, honey, and pinch of sugar in 1/4 cup warm water for a few minutes to make the yeast happy & bubbly (or activate the yeast if you want to be technical about it). 

Here you have to choose:

I throw all the ingredients into a bread maker on the dough setting. Super easy. Just roll out, decorate and bake.

If you don't have one then you can definitely make it by hand in a big bowl and mix with a spatula (sometimes I do this if I only make a half recipe). 

In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt (and herbs if you want). Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil, the yeast mixture, plus the remaining 3/4 cup of water.

Mix until the entire mixture clumps into a big ball. Either knead the dough by hand or just fold it over and over with the spatula for a couple minutes. The dough should be smooth and firm.

Cover the bowl of dough with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a cool spot for about 2 hours. It'll puff up a bit so you know your yeast is fresh and doing it's thing.

Divide the dough into 2 balls (or however many you want). If you want to get crazy you could keep it as one super thick crust... but I'm impatient when I smell pizza baking so I prefer the quick, thin-crust route. 

Roll the ball out to your desired thickness (with a rolling pin or just stretch it for that rustic, homemade look). Carefully place dough on a pizza stone or pizza pan/cookie sheet sprayed with oil or dusted with cornmeal to keep from sticking.

Add your favorite sauce and toppings. (I love lots of thin-sliced veggies, roasted garlic and prosciutto on mine, yum.)

Bake at least 10 - 12 minutes, more depending on the thickness of crust. If it is still floppy/soft in the center when lifted with a utensil, keep baking until nicely browned and crisp.

Let cool, don't burn yourself now. I know it smells good, but wait a moment for it to cool, then cut, and serve! 

Warm & Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love this thick and chunky soup on a cool evening. It warms you right up. Plus if you feel a cold coming on then make the soup extra spicy to help you clear your sinuses. :)

This can also be made in a slow-cooker if you are running low on time.

About 6 servings

Drizzle of olive oil
1 cup pulled chicken (a chance to use up leftover roasted chicken)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
3 cloves of garlic (diced)
1 can diced tomatos
1 can diced green chilies
1 tbsp oregano (preferably mexican oregano)
1 dried ancho chili ripped in half (remove seeds for less heat)
1/2 tbsp paprika or a few splashes of hot sauce (to taste)
1/2 tsp of sea salt and pepper

Add after 1/2 hour of simmering:
1 handful of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup of cooked rice (white or brown rice)
1 can black beans (drained)
2 limes juiced
3 tbsp of sweet corn, canned or fresh (optional)

Heat up a large soup pot with a drizzle of olive oil inside, over medium heat. Saute the diced onions and garlic until golden. Add the can of tomatoes and green chilies. Stir in the herbs and spices, hot sauce and large pieces of dried chili peppers (so you can remove the dried peppers before serving). After allowing the first ingredients to simmer at least half an hour, add the shredded chicken, lime juice, beans, rice, cilantro, and corn. Simmer in the open pot to let thicken for at least another half hour, or until the soup is your preferred consistency. Top with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, and cilantro.

Chewy Fruit & Nut Granola Bars

• Once you make these simple and tasty granola bars at home, you will think twice about buying store-bought bars filled with preservatives. When you make your own you can add your favorite ingredients and mix it up each time. Sometimes I cut these into bite-size pieces to serve as bar cookies at parties.

Makes about 16 rectangular granola bars

• 
  
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup puffed rice or kamut (I use Arrowhead brand)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp honey (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup of diced dried apricots
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (or nuts of your choice, chopped cashews or peanuts are tasty)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp each of ground cloves and nutmeg
• Splash of vanilla extract
• Optional: 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine and stir all the dry ingredients together. Pour sweetened condensed milk over dry mixture until it is just sticking together (if it seems too wet, add more oats). Evenly spread over a cooky sheet lined with a silicone baking mat (Silpat), and press with spatula to about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 20-25 minutes until just golden around the edges. 

Let cool, then transfer to a cutting board to cut into your desired bar size. Enjoy for a snack or dessert! Customize with your favorite fruit and nut combos.