Got Pumpkin??

Who doesn't love SOMETHING in pumpkin??

Something....anything??

If the answer is you...try these...not too heavy on the pumpkin flavour.  you may be converted!

2      cups    flour
1      pkg      instant butterscotch pudding mix
2      tsp       baking soda
1      tbsp.    ground cinnamon
1      tsp       ground ginger
1/2   tsp       ground allspice
1/2   tsp      ground cloves
1/3   cup     finely chopped candied ginger slices
1      cup     butter, room temp
1      cup     granulated sugar ( not the time to worry about sugar folks!)
1      cup     packed brown sugar (honest not the time!)
4                 eggs
1      tsp      vanilla
15   oz        pumpkin puree


Cream the butter and sugars together first until light and fluffy, this is important because the butter needs to be evenly distributed before you add the flours, otherwise you'll end up over mixing it.

Add the spices next, then the eggs one at a time (or they will splash about) then add the pudding mix, mix well, add the pumpkin next and mix well.  (make sure you puree it if you roast a pie pumpkin from the fresh state as it will be too stringy)  add the vanilla, then slowly add the flour mixing until only just mixed in.

Grease your tins or silicone liners or use foil lined liners as I found paper liners stick too much to the muffin.

Bake in 350f  12-15 mins.   Makes 24 muffins if regular tin is filled 3/4 full.

Home made Instant Oatmeal

Here's my favourite Instant Oatmeal, hope you like it! It is so much healthier than the boxed versions sitting on store shelves.

1/2 - 3/4 cup 1 minute oats
1 cup of milk of your choice, I love unsweetened almond milk

mix together and put into microwave for 2-3 minutes, until soft.  add in your fave toppings.

examples:
1 tbsp. brown sugar 2 tbsp. maple syrup
mashed banana
applesauce and cinnamon
blueberries
strawberries

keep trying new combos!

Home made Chai Tea Bliss!!

My hubby loves Chai Tea.  if he has to have it bagged he prefers Twinings, but....I made it for him from scratch once and he asks for this whenever I have more time as he says it tastes so much better!

so for Chai lovers here you go:


For a mug size cup:

1 1/2 cups water
8 whole cloves
8 green cardamom pods
1  1inch piece of cinnamon
2-3 tea bags of black tea or green tea

milk and sugar to taste

Simmer spices in water on the stovetop in a pot with a tight fitting lid, watch out not to boil off the water!  Add tea bags and simmer until darkness is to your liking.  Add sugar then milk, strain and serve.

My larger pot version of extra spice chai

3 cups water
15  whole cloves
15 green cardamom pods
1  3 inch piece of cinnamon
3-4 tea bags black or green

Milk and Sugar to taste.

Same method as above.

Mom's Perfect Pancakes

Original Recipe:

1 1/2  cup  flour
   2      tbsp. sugar
   3      tsp.    baking powder
   1               egg, large
   2     tbsp.   oil
   1      tsp.    vanilla
 1 3/4  cups  milk, soy milk, almond milk or what ever you choose


Mix well with a fork and pour into hot buttered pan by 1/4 cupfulls.

Can be wrapped in waxed paper and frozen.


Changes the I make once in a while:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, (or combo of white, ww, with 1/4 cup substituted for soy flour)
2       tbsp.  sugar substitute, (Or 2 tbsp. applesauce, and add two tbsp. flour)
3       tsp. baking powder
1       egg (or 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp. warm water)
2       tbsp. oil (or melted butter)
1 tsp vanilla (Or any flavouring of your choice)
1 3/4 cups liquid ( milk dairy non-dairy, mashed banana, applesauce)

what do you feel like today?

measurements equivalencies

I hope i'll be able to read this!  I want to upload my cook book pages to throw away all the pages I have! 

Our year of healthful eating has begun...sigh wish me luck

I have to say that this quest of mine is probably getting oneveryone's nerves!  I read...a lot!!... and i watch food documentaries...a lot... and if one of those sources makes sense i try to implement their advice for my family. Not an easy job, let me tell ya!!

This September, 2014, my oldest boys, 12 & 8, have gone to school. The second time for my oldest but the first tine for my second. Talk about stressful! My middle son is already incredibly picky about what he will eat, now with the stress of school, he eats even less! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!<(

I didn't do too badly feeding healthy foods, but realized after two months of working out, and hard, at the gym and not having lost ANY weight that there still had to be something wrong with my diet. 

Enter in SUGAR.

All the things that we eat are loaded with sugar...and i don't have large amounts of processed foods in my house! Yet, it still sneaks ( guilty) into our foods via the baked goods i offer, juice, our favourite crackers, peanut butter, middle son's fave nutella, pasta sauces, and the list goes on!

So, with everyone having been sick these past two weeks, including me, I have researched changes for my recipes to reduce or eliminate sugar from mybaked goods and from our drinks.

Tough luck!

It has been hard, Daddy is having the hardest time of all, by sneaking in the cake from the freezer! The juice boxes for the kids lunches have been replaced with water bottles.

Although i am still having an impossible time getting Chet to eat his lunch.

Help is appreciated!

So, today i am roasting pumkpins and their seeds. Going to see what ican make from this without buying  cans of pumpkin puree.

I seem to be ranting now, so i'll leave off for now.

What do you do to reduce sugar consumption in your family's diet?

Rena Untitled...intro paragraph

  Rena opened her eyes when her alarm chimed and had a moment of panic when she forgot where she was.  Sitting upright quickly she looked around frantically before remembering she was in her new apartment.  She was in New York City.  Then a wave of mortification passed through her as she remembered why she was there.

  Flopping back onto her pillows she tried to bury herself and forget what she had to do today.  Hiding almost worked, until the nagging voice in her head made her come out of bed and get started with her day.

Walking into her bathroom she stared at herself in the mirror,"Sure! Youcan be reasonable now! Where were you three months ago!" With a deep sigh she reached over to start the shower, hoping against all hope that the day won't be as bad as she feared.