Worst blogger ever!

So it's not like I haven't been baking - in fact I have been doing a TON of baking and trying out new recipes - it's just that I am terrible about blogging about it. BUT my New Years resolution is to commit to doing this on a regular basis; so I might as well start now.

I made the most delicious shortbread, seriously I am a shortbread snob. My grandmother made the most amazing shortbread with me when I was growing up, and now I turn my nose up at store bought breaded cakes that pretend to be the decadent shortbread I know and love. BUT here's the other thing - I recently discovered a new love (don't tell J) BROWN BUTTER, **note to reader: be prepared for a lot of capitals when speaking about BROWN BUTTER**. If you haven't entered the world of this heavenly caramelized flavored butter, drop what your doing and brown it!!

So here's what happened, I am eating a super delicious healthy really good after my workout lunch of lettuce wraps, quinoa spinach and goodness, because in two hours I will be powering through an entire pie pan of brown butter shortbread slices. The recipe is below - I don't have an after picture yet because I ATE the first batch already (well I did share with my son and neighbour) - try them! I can't say they are as good as the traditional shortbread, b/c my grandmother would roll over, and nothing beats tradition, but they are certainly on that level!

Brown Butter Shortbread taken from Lottie + Doof

http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2008/12/brown-butter-shortbread/

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter BROWNED

1/2 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar - I used light brown and it was just as good!

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Spray down a pie plate - you can use a tart pan to be fancy if you own one. I didn't use tinfoil to line the pan - but I will next time

In a medium pan put your butter in and begin browning on medium heat. STAY CLOSE, I had a toddler running around and had to be careful b/c it can spit.

It would be easy to burn the butter, but honestly just keep stirring it until the colour changes. About 8 min or so.

Scrap ALL the goodness from that pan - all the fleck and brown stuff off the bottom (that's what heaven is made of)

Combine butter, sugar and salt together and mix in the flour. Pour it into the pie dish and let it sit in the oven at least two hours (overnight if you can contain yourself)

Preheat oven to 300

Bake for 45 min and remove and sprinkle sanding sugar or regular sugar (you can be Christmas colourful if you want - I give you permission). Let it cool, cut the pieces and enjoy!!

soon

PROMISES.............I have been terrible at blogging BUT I have made a ton of amazing things - revamping and chaning and blogging soon

healthy-ish Whole Wheat Ginger Snap cookies

We have been sick as dogs around here. It seems like the colds keep coming and the noses keep running. Growing up; we always drank ginger ale when we came down with a cold or flu. I'm sure it really did nothing at all, but something in the ginger taste made being sick a little easier. So With all the colds and sickness in our house I decided it was time for the ginger. BUT I have also had a major major craving for cookies and sweets lately (which has equaled many extra workouts) so I decided to make ginger snap cookies with a twist.

I found this recipe on a cupcake blog http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2010/04/gingersnap-cookies-making-them-is-snap.html I often frequent and decided to to change it up and add a bit more health so I didn't feel too guilty chowing down on 6 of them while watching America's Got Talent (which by the way is a another guilty pleasure of mine - I mean how can you not heart random people with stupid talent).

The lowdown: I switched up the butter for half butter and half unsweetened applesauce. I cut the sugar in half, and used whole wheat flour instead of white flour. I was almost out of molasses, and having the actual amount would have made it more ginger snap like. We were also out of fresh ginger which would have tasted much better then the ground stuff - but what can ya do; I NEEDED cookies

Recipe:

2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tablespoon of fresh fresh ginger
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of suagr
3/4 cup of butter and unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1/4 cup of dark molasses
1/3 cup of cinnamon sugar

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
In a mixing bowl sift four, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt (if you don`t have a sifter just use a mesh strainer)

mix butter in another bowel - I filled up the 3/4 cup half full of butter and filled the rest with the apllesauce and then mixed mixed mixed until it was super creamy and add the sugar, continue mixing

Beat in egg and molasses

slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar concoction and continue mixing

**I had to add a bit of extra flour as my dough was a bit sticky. Also I refrigerated the dough before rolling it into balls as it was super sticky

roll into tiny balls - about 1 inch diameter wise and then roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture

Bake for about 8-10 min depending on how chewy or crunch you like them.

JUST for the record I didn`t follow any of these instructions and they came out great - I would add a bit more ginger next time since I am a snappy kind of girl.

Alright now where is the darn remote..............

PS My mother has offered to send me a short email with my common grammatical errors, so please be fair warned that I may be stepping it up word wise since I will have been edumacted....

Kitchen Sink Muffins

Now before I continue on with a fun ubber healthy recipe, I must write a disclaimer on future posts to come. First, I am a terrible speller. You know the saying that "if you read for pleasure your spelling will reflect this"; my brain must have missed the boat on this one. I heart books - more then just food magazines and vampire novels, and I have actually read Pride and Prejudice, and yet my spelling still mixes up bowels and bowls and I often misuse "your and you're". Another case in point; I'm obsessed with semi colens and commas. My brain seems to think they make the words on the page much more exciting and so it is written. Therefor if you are spelling or punctuation obsessed you can do a couple things: either have patience and laugh along with me, correct me in the comment section below, or re-visit when I have my act together - which really could be a while. I have since discovered the spell check button on here and am hopeful in future recipes I won't be asking you to get out a mixing bowel.

KITCHEN SINK MUFFINS

This weekend I felt like sticking my head in the kitchen sink and turning on the hot water. With a late night visit to the children's hospital with M to ensure he could breath through his croup, random crying, sleepless nights and more random crying (me this time) I have come up with two conclusions: (1) I am so thankful for the overpriced rocker and ottoman in M's bedroom as it has served as my bed the last 48 hours and (2) I'm in desperate need of some baking therapy. With that said; everything in me wanted to make cookies. The ooey gooey melt in your mouth scoop of sugar pound of butter double chocolate chip kind (I have a great recipe for them). But with M's cold and our busy week - I figured I should hop on the healthy train, even if it's just for a moment.

My original inspiration for this recipe was from a Women's Health issue. I thought this had some great building blocks for an ultra healthy muffin and from there these were born. This is the link to the orginal recipe http://recipes.womenshealthmag.com/Recipe/date-and-oatmeal-muffins.aspx

Cost: Now I had all of these items in the pantry already, but after breaking down the cost, and after buying in bulk; 30 mini muffins came to about 3.00. The only speciality item on here is the pumpkin seed butter which is about 5.00 for a large jar and can be purchased in in organic aisle at Superstore

**I was originally going to use butter in the recipe, but instead chose to use pumpkin seed butter that as there is no sodium or sugar in it

Recipe:

1 1/2 cup of oatmeal (I used quick oats)
1/3 cup of milk

3/4 cup of whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp of vanilla Whey protein powder
2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
3/4 cup of dates (about 20 or so)

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon of honey
2 Tbsp of pumpkin seed butter
1 Tbsp of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup of carrots

1/4 cup of dried coconut

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees

(2) combine oatmeal and milk in a bowl and leave to sit. In another large bowl mix flour, cinnamon, whey powder, baking soda, baking powder,

(3) Combine dates, applesauce, coconut, in a blender and blend until you get a wet pasty like substance

(4) In a separate bowl combine egg, pumpkin seed butter, honey, add the date mixture from the blender and mix these until you get a wet pasty like substance

(5) Add in oatmeal and flour mixture to completely combine

(5) Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake for 20 min until tops a slightly browned

Would I make them again: for sizzle!!! I loved that I could throw just about anything to these; providing you add enough moisture and egg to hold them together. M has already eaten three today and can't get enough!

Where did I come from.......

As a child I was never really intrested in the kitchen area. Perhaps because ours was too small for more then one person, or perhaps because my tom boy attitude kept me outside with the rocks and the trees. Either way, cooking and baking didn't really intrest me. As I grew older and moved out on my own, I lived on rice noodles and chinese vegetables from the market and still had no clue what the kitchen was for besides storing stuff. AND THEN I married the most amazing husband who could GASP cook and I was set! But as I became a mama and then a stay at home one I thought I should probably take on a bit more responsiblity at home then just child rearing. But see growing up in a single parent family with a mother who is working full time gives you great insight on the independant woman, but not a ton on who to be a house wife. So I'm kinda making it up as I go along.

I have this image in my mind that a housewife is this June Cleaver woman who can do it all, and I sooooo don't fall into this category. I can hardly cook, cleaning is ok except those darn junk drawers and well when I'm baking I take a million shortcuts. but that's ok. I'm learning to lower these insane expectations of who I think I should be who I am. I plan on posting some fun baking ideas I have and sharing them with you, but learning along the way as well. I'm thankful for each moment I have with my family and can't wait to share our adventures. So follow or don't follow, read or don't read. It's more about the fun process then the actual product that comes from all of this.