Avocado Oatmeal Cookies

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I thought I would bake something with my favorite green food, avocado! You've heard the saying before that avocado is "nature's butter" but did you know you can really substitute avocado for butter!? In this cookie recipe, you sure can!

This recipe follows the "Quaker Oats - Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookie" Recipe...but instead of butter...avocado! and of course, i had to add a little chocolate!

1 c. mashed ripe avocado

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. Quaker Oats (quick or old-fashioned)

1 c. raisins

1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350* Beat together avocado and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to avocado/sugar mixture and mix partially. Add oats, raisins and chocolate chips and mix until combined. Spray a cookie sheet. Form dough into shape & size cookie you desire, the cookie will not change much while baking. Wet hands with water to make it easier to work with the dough. Bake 10-12 minutes, turning cookie sheet once during baking. Bake until edges brown slightly. Makes about 4 dozen. They will have a greenish color and let me tell you they are even better the next day.

Store in an airtight container.

Banana Bread

You've gotta love this Banana Bread recipe!

It uses whole wheat flour, it is low in fat,

low in sugar & still tastes great!

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/3 c. skim milk

2/3 c. applesauce

2 Tb. canola oil

3 medium mashed bananas

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix above together until combined.

In another bowl, combine:

1 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Whisk dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Line with parchment paper & spray 1 large or 2 small loaf pans and pour batter in.

Bake @ 350* for 30-35 minutes (will take longer for large loaf, 40-45 minutes) Bread is done when top bounces back when touched and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. **It is easiest to take bread out of pans once it is completely cool, although the parchment paper lining makes it easier to take out while still warm. This is a healthy banana bread you can feel great about eating! Enjoy!

Granola

Making your own granola is easy!

Ingredients:

4 c. old-fashioned oats

2/3 c. wheat bran

2/3 c. oat bran

2/3 c. coconut

1 c. sliced almonds

2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix above together in large bowl. Set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together:

3/4 c. canola oil

1/2 c. maple syrup

1/3 c. honey

1/3 c. peanut butter (optional)

2 tsp. vanilla

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until completely combined. Spread the granola onto 2 large rimmed cookie sheets. Bake @ 350* for 10 minutes, uncovered, then turn with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes, repeat. Total baking time will be 25-30 minutes, edges will brown slightly when done.

Let cool completely, uncovered,

then transfer to bowl and add dried fruit:

1/2 c. dried cranberries

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. diced dried apricots

1/2 c. dried cherries

Store in airtight container.

Spinach Tarts

These spinach quiche tarts are perfect for a weekend brunch.

Although they take some time to prepare, they are

well worth the work.

Ingredients-Crust:

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

whisk together

Then add:

1/2 c. cold salted butter, cubed

cut in until it resembles coarse crumbs

Then add:

7-8 Tb cold water

Mix with fork until it comes together. Turn out onto floured surface and knead a couple times to form ball and then flatten to form a disc. Roll out between two sheets of waxed paper, flouring both sides of the dough disc. Place in tart pans, forming to sides. You may bake in a pie pan or even in a greased muffin tin. Poke dough with fork in several spots and then prebake pie crust @ 350* for 10 minutes. (If baking in a muffin tin, you do not need to prebake the dough. Just lay dough and form it around tin, cutting roughly around top to trim)

**Time saving tip: you could use store bought pie crust!

I made a few in a muffin tin with the leftover dough and

filling from the tarts. I like the rustic look with the rough cut dough.

Ingredients-Filling:

3 c. spinach (fresh, rinsed, patted dry & chopped)

3 eggs

1/3 c. onion

1 clove garlic crushed

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 c. shredded swiss cheese

1 c. scalded milk

(warm the milk on stovetop, stirring often,

until it almost comes to a boil)

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl and then scoop into the prebaked pie/tart/muffin crust. Bake @ 350* for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is set

(i.e. doesn't jiggle when moved) and top of quiche is firm.

Serve these with a fresh fruit salad and mimosas, wow!

Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits

Looking for a great side to go with chili or tomato soup? Here it is! These Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits are hearty but light & will

spice up any meal.

Preheat oven to 400*

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

4 tsp. baking powder

(Although I used 3 1/2 tsp baking powder, high altitude adjustment)

1 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

whisk above ingredients together until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together:

1 c. milk

(I used 1%, you may use any kind, even buttermilk if you'd like)

1/4 c. canola oil

Add wet ingredients to dry and fold them gently with spatula until almost combined.

Then add:

2 Tb. canned diced jalapenos

(if you like spice, add 3 Tb jalapenos)

3/4 c. cheddar cheese

Gently fold into biscuit mixture until it comes together.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 8-10 times. Then press down until dough is 3/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass to make 10-12 biscuits. Place biscuits onto lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 400* for 10-12 minutes.

(Turn cookie sheet halfway through baking time.)

Biscuits with a kick! Enjoy!

Wedding Cake & Cupcakes

In July, I will be baking a wedding cake & 150 cupcakes for a friends' wedding! These pics are from their cake tasting at our house. It was so much fun! I had them choose three flavors of cake & three flavors of frosting to sample. Then, I made many combinations of all of their choices with different styles, so they could choose

which ones they liked the most.

Their choices were:

Cakes: Yellow Cake, Carrot Cake & Devil's Food Chocolate Cake

Frostings: Vanilla Buttercream, Raspberry Cream Cheese &

Chocolate Ganache

After the cake tasting, they decided on their favorites for the wedding cake & cupcakes:

Devil's Food Chocolate Cake & Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Watch for those recipes coming in July!

Baked Meatballs with Red Pepper Sauce

Tonight I made a simple Italian dinner with baked meatballs and a red pepper & tomato sauce. I used ground elk burger (from my husband's elk hunt this fall) but you can use any ground meat: beef, turkey, pork or a combination of any.

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground meat

1/4 c. finely diced yellow onion

1 clove crushed garlic

3/4 c. fresh breadcrumbs

(i used fresh french bread, cubed and dried out in the oven by baking for 10 min at 350*

and then pulsing in a food processor to make breadcrumbs.)

2 eggs

2 Tb. fresh flat leaf italian parsley

3/4 tsp. black pepper

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

3 Tb. finely shredded mozzarella cheese

cooking spray

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix gently with a fork until incorporated. Form meatballs, 1 inch diameter and place in an

8 * 11 pan (lightly coated with cooking spray).

Bake uncovered at 350* for 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Remove from oven and cover pan with foil until you're ready to eat. While meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce below and cook pasta noodles (according to package directions).

Sauce:

1 Tb. olive oil

1/3 c. finely diced yellow onion

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/3 c. finely diced red pepper

2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)

3 Tb. tomato paste

1/2 tsp dried basil (or 1 tsp fresh)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and red pepper. Saute for 3 more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. Reduce heat to med-low and cover. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

**Time saving tip: Use store bought pasta sauce, 28 oz. can or jar

Assemble the dinner plates with pasta, sauce & meatballs....

Voila! Dinner is served!