Cooking Light's Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I buy extra bananas every week just so I can let some get nice and brown for baking. Making my Orange-y Banana Bread is usually where the bananas get used, but not this time. Last week I received the latest issue of Cooking Light and immediately marked the recipe for Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (you can find the recipe HERE) to make.

From Family, Friends and Food

I've seen many recipes on-line that use ripened, mashed bananas to replace some of the fat in various baked goods. I love that this recipe is lower in sugar and the banana flavor is there, but not over-powering. These cookies were moist and chewy and were in the oven within about 10 minutes.

While My Husband and Boys were out riding bikes they mentioned to the neighbors I was baking cookies. This gave me a great opportunity to take over a plate of them to share. I think they were well-liked because my neighbor ate several while we were outside chatting! My Oldest kept wanting to grab another for a "sample" and I had a hard time resisting the urge to go back for more.

From Family, Friends and Food

The recipe says to bake for 18 minutes, but I found they were perfect after about 14 minutes. I also used the Hershey's Mini Kisses instead of chocolate chips. I think next time I would use mini-chocolate chips instead because it would be easier to distribute them throughout all of the cookies. I like to have a bit of chocolate in each and every bite. For a lightened cookie, these really satisfy and are only 115 calories for each one!

Now if you are looking for some other delicious cookie recipes, head on over to these fantastic blogs:

Jenny at Picky Palate is always coming up with amazing sweet treats and her Double Chipped Cookies Stuffed with 100 Grand are no exception!

Over at Dragon's Kitchen you'll find the perfect flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter in the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies... these may have to make an appearance here sometime soon!

Deborah at Taste and Tell made the No Bake Oatmeal Cookies 3 times in one week they were so easy and delicious! A perfect cookie to let the kids make since there is no baking required.

Making Breakfast Quick and Healthy

Since we had a very busy weekend I didn’t do a whole lot of cooking. What was I doing? Celebrating My Youngest’s birthday! With lots of fun at a local mini golf place, equipped with spooky decorations and black lights to make their light clothes glow in the dark the kids had a great time!

So, rather than leave you with nothing I thought I’d share some quick and healthy breakfast ideas I found over at Real Simple’s website. I love their magazine because it’s full of useful information and interesting product reviews.

The first idea is to combine some cheese cubes, apple slices and nuts in a plastic bag or container so that you can nibble on them after getting to work or while you are getting ready for the day at home.

Enjoy your whole grain waffle, but skip the syrup! Add a bit of peanut butter instead, and for a bit more fun (and nutrition) sprinkle on some raisins.

If you are in a pinch and end up at Dunkin Donuts, opt for the plain cake donut rather than one of their muffins. To make it more filling, grab a ¼ cup of almonds or dried fruit. If you can manage it, skip the coffee and have low-fat chocolate milk instead. That last one will be tough for many people I know!

They also suggest making a breakfast shake. While they suggest using a breakfast shake mix, I think it’s just as easy to make one for yourself – check out the Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie I’ve made in the past or the Blueberry Smoothie we also enjoyed.

Their idea of making a quick breakfast pizza sounds like a great way to make the usual morning routine more interesting. They suggest using a slice of crusty bread, ricotta and tomatoes but, I can see creating other savory options as well. Perhaps use a whole grain English muffin with a thin slice of fresh mozzarella and a tablespoon of salsa for some extra zing in your morning.

Keep energy bars on hand, but combine them with a serving of yogurt. Personally, I love Luna and Fiber One bars and if you pair them with your favorite yogurt they will keep you satisfied for longer. I’ve recently become quite a fan of Greek yogurt and it seems so much creamier which seems like a treat when I’m eating it.

Surprisingly, they suggest that if you must grab some fast food in the morning that the Egg McMuffin is a good choice. If you remove the top half of the muffin that brings the calorie count down, then add an orange for a fiber boost. The protein from the egg and Canadian bacon is what makes this a better choice if you must hit the drive-thru.

I love their idea of creating a cereal sundae. Start with some high fiber bran cereal, then use vanilla or lemon yogurt and fruit and nuts to create a breakfast filled with nutrients to start your day off on the right foot. It’s kind of like eating dessert first thing in the morning!

Make portable Huevos Rancheros! Slice up a hard-boiled egg, add a slice of ham and cheese and roll them up in a whole wheat tortilla. For a bit more flavor add your favorite salsa.

So, now you are armed with some healthy and SIMPLE ways to get the most important meal of the day into your body! No excuses to skip breakfast when it's really quite easy to put something not only nutritious but also flavorful on your plate!

Southern Living: Granola Cookies

Last weekend I made another new cookie recipe, Granola Cookies. This one comes from a favorite cookie source, Southern Living's All-Time Favorite Cookies. I've made quite a few different recipes from this cookbook and all with great success.

I wanted to make something a bit different from the all chocolate cookies this time. I liked that these had granola in them, but I did substitute chocolate chips for the raisins. They came out a bit crispier than I like my cookies, but that didn't stop My Husband and My Oldest from coming back for more and more cookies! So, they were a hit... but, I do prefer a soft and chewy cookie a bit more.

From Family, Friends and Food

Since I had a few questions on freezing cookies, I thought I'd share what I've found today.

• I use larger flat Tupperware containers to store them. You can use any brand as long as it provides a good seal.
• Layer the cookies between sheets of wax paper. This will keep them from sticking together as they freeze and make removing just the amount you wnat much easier.
• Keep in mind that the texture of some cookies may change after an extended time in the deep-freeze. I tend to only keep them in the freezer for 3-6 months at the most.
• To defrost, I pull them out and allow them to sit at room temperature until I'm ready to nibble. Some cookies are actually quite tasty even when frozen, as My Husband and Father-in-Law have been known to head out to the freezer and nibble them without waiting!

Granola Cookies
Source: Southern Living, All-Time Favorite Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar)
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups commercial granola (I used Trader Joe's brand)
1/2 cup raisins (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Directions
Beat butter at medium speed on electric mixer until creamy, gradually add sugars; beat well. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.

Combine flour through cinnamon; add to creamed mixture, mix well. Stir in granola and raisins.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet (I cover mine in parchment paper).

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 4 1/2 dozen

Cooking Challenge: Homemade Pasta 3

First, I have to say it has been a bit shocking today with the news of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. I have quite a few memories of both of them... I was a huge Charlie's Angels fan and even had the barbie dolls of each of the original Angels. I memorized Thriller when it first came out but, never quite figured out how to moonwalk. Regardless of how you feel about either of them in recent years, they definitely made their mark when they were young and among the hottest celebrities. My heart goes out to their families during this time.

Back to our regular programming... yesterday was my birthday! No, I'm not telling my age but I am getting closer to a milestone that I'm not quite ready to admit to just yet. My Husband not only treated us to dinner at a local restaurant that we enjoy (and they had a decadent mocha chocolate cake that I had for dessert!), he proved he DOES listen when I mention things I'd like to own. He gave me the pasta roller attachment set for my KitchenAid stand mixer, which I was completely thrilled to receive!

I didn't let it sit for long before using it... barely 1 day! As you can see from my previous attempts HERE and HERE, I am getting a bit better at it each time.

From Family, Friends and Food

With my new attachments I found it much easier to manipulate the dough using both hands while the machine did the work. I was able to get the dough nice and thin, which I found difficult with the hand crank machine.

With this attempt I was armed with a copy of Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. This book was recommended to me by one of my Twitter friends, @constablesblog. The section on homemade pasta shared several helpful tips when preparing homemade pasta. The most helpful one I found was allowing the dough to sit and dry slightly before sending it through the noodle cutter attachment. This made a big difference when I was using the spaghetti/angel hair attachment. When I tried this with the hand crank machine, I was sending it through without allowing it to sit and it gummed up the machine. Very frustrating and really awful results. Not the case this time!

From Family, Friends and Food

Both of My Boys said that they LOVED my noodles and kept asking for more! I thought they definitely had a pleasing light texture. I think my next pasta challenge will be to make ravioli. I need to decide on what filling I want to try first. With the roller attachment, I feel confident I will be able to pull it off with great success!

Alton Brown's Baked Brown Rice

I've been working hard to keep eating healthy in between all those cookie posts you've been reading. I even signed up for an incentive program at the gym at my office. Which means I'm working with a personal trainer 1-2 times a week in addition to my early morning workouts. It's just time to battle the extra calories and pounds in a serious way.

I wanted to serve brown rice with dinner tonight. Now, I've tried it before and felt it was just "ok", never quite got a taste for it. I love how healthy it is and really wanted to find a way to prepare it that would make it more appealing. Not too long ago, I remembered seeing some posts somewhere about the easiest way to prepare it so that it would come out fluffy and tasty. The method was to bake it in the oven and it would turn out perfectly. I tried to find my bookmark for it, but I've got several hundred blog posts bookmarked... not exactly the ideal way to keep them organized!

I did find a recipe on Food Network from Alton Brown - the foodie scientist guy. I can appreciate Alton for his uncanny way of breaking down recipes to create the ideal way to make them. I did discover that Cook's Illustrated published a similar recipe for making brown rice, the only difference was the amount of liquid. I had asked on Twitter if anyone knew the recipe I was looking for, and as luck would have it as soon as I put the Alton Brown version in the oven someone posted the CI recipe link!

From Family, Friends and Food

I have to say that I loved the rice prepared this way! It turned out fluffy and nutty - just as I had heard it should. You can find the recipe HERE at Food Network. I'll be serving this in place of white rice from now on since it is so simple and turned out perfectly!

I have been a busy writing blogger lately! Please head over to these sites to see other posts I've written recently:

Healthy Living - a great blog about making healthy choices and maintaining weight loss

The Voice of Mom - a bit of a diversion from my food writing, go check it out!

Sprout for Parents - I was asked to be a guest blogger and answered a question on how to make your backyard BBQ more adventurous... head on over to see how I answered that question!

Grammy’s Chocolate Cookies from Martha Stewart

Last Friday night, My Husband was off to a poker game. Usually, I’ve got cookies ready to go with him… not this time. I had a busy week and didn’t manage to bake any and the only cookies in my freezer were Jam Thumbprints. Not exactly manly cookies, so he opted not to take them.

I decided after he left that I should begin baking so I could restock the freezer. Little did I know on Friday that by Saturday morning I would need to restock the whole thing! Yes, you read that right, I need to restock my entire freezer. Seems that when it was closed on Friday, the bottom didn’t seal closed – something was blocking it. Saturday morning, My Husband discovered that everything had defrosted and we had to toss it all. There went my soups, chicken stock, chili, and a ton of other food that was in there. We made a trip to Costco to restock on some of our essentials, and I’m now trying to find time to restock the homemade items. It's annoying, but it did require us to clear out things that we had forgotten about... so, there is a bright side to what happened.

Back to the cookies! These cookies are in the soft and chewy section of Martha’s Cookie cookbook. I’ve decided that I’m definitely more fond of the soft and chewy cookie and not so much of the crisp cookie. I’ll be sharing another one this week that everyone else enjoyed, but it wasn’t one of my favorites. These chocolate cookies were delicious! I have already placed the majority of them in the freezer to keep them out of easy reach!

From Family, Friends and Food

If you like/love chocolate, these cookies are for you! I loved that they stayed soft but still had that bit of crunch from the sugar on the outside of them. These would be nice enough to add to a holiday tray or cookie gift basket. The sugar kind of glistens in the light, so they just seem a bit more special.

My Youngest was not a fan of the sugar coating, but the rest of us enjoyed these cookies quite a lot! I just picked up the lastest Martha Stewart cookbook on Cupcakes and am thinking I may have to make some very soon… if you haven’t seen this cookbook yet, check it out – you won’t be able to resist buying it!

Grammy’s Chocolate Cookies
Source: Martha Stewart’s Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; beat to combine. Form dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, then roll in sanding sugar. Place on baking sheets covered in parchment paper. Bake until set – about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from baking sheet to cool completely on wire rack.

Cookies can be stored in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 week.

Pace Specialty Salsa Giveaway Winner!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there! Hope you all got to spend a great day with your family.

Before I announce the winner, I wanted to share with you a couple of simple ways I used the Pace Mexican 4 Cheese Salsa. Friday night, I spread some tortilla chips on a plate and them added some refried beans, chopped tomatoes and black olives. To that I topped it off with the cheese salsa. My Boys couldn't stop eating it! Which was only slightly surprising since there was a bit of spice to them. Didn't stop My Oldest from going back for me though!

I also usedd some of the 4 Cheese Salsa in a quick and simple burrito for lunch. The salsa added a bit of spice and just the right amount of cheese to it. Just another simple way to enjoy the salsa.

Now for the entries:


First was Kristin from Sogonnite Living and her Taco Salad requires not only salsa but a whole list of fantastic ingredients!

My 2nd entry is from my Adopted Blogger, Lynda's Recipe Box! She made a mouth-watering Southwestern Chicken and Rice Skillet.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:1
Timestamp: 2009-06-22 01:18:22 UTC

Congratulations, Kristin! Please email me your mailing information so I can forward it to the folks at Pace!

Thanks to both Kristin & Lynda for entering my giveaway! Be sure to come on back tomorrow as I'll be sharing a fantastic chocolate cookie I made over the weekend!

Agave Sweetened Low-Fat Bread

First a reminder that your entries on ways you use salsa need to be submitted by tomorrow (Saturday)! Click HERE for all the details and you could win 2 jars of Pace Specialty Salsa!

Today I made a trip to Trader Joe's to pick up some things that I can only find there. If only they would open one that is more convenient! It's not like the one I go to is far away, it's just not on my way anywhere, so I have to plan to go there. If Trader Joe's is listening, I know of a great location for you... there's a perfect sized space in a strip mall not too far from me that is just calling out to be turned into a Trader Joe's! Ok, enough of my begging and on to something new I bought today!

I picked up a bottle of Blue Agave Sweetener because I keep seeing recipes on-line that use it. I never see it at my local grocery store so I tossed it in my cart with my other items. Agave is a plant grown in Mexico and is harvested after it is about 7-10 years old. It's a really spikey looking plant and the nectar that it produces is similar to honey and can be used in place of artificial sweeteners without the aftertaste. The bonus to doing that is that it is all natural.

Once I got home and noticed I had some bananas begging to be made into bread, I knew the recipe I'd be making tonight: Agave Sweetened Low-Fat Banana Bread from my friend Recipegirl. Not only did the recipe have my newly aquired Agave in it, but it's also low-fat. I'm still trying to find recipes that will help me stick with a healthy eating plan, and this one looked like a great one to add to that list.

From Family, Friends and Food

This bread was moist and dense with a lot of banana bits throughout. I really enjoyed it fresh out of the oven, but could definitely see it being equally delicious toasted with just a touch of butter on it. It was not overly sweet, but rather had just the right amount of sweetness in it. I wasn't sure if the Agave would significantly alter the taste, but it really did not.

Since the Agave was a bit expensive for the amount I purchased, I am going to price it out at a couple of health food stores to see if I can find a better deal on it. It's something I think I need to keep in my pantry for baking and sweetening other dishes.

Thanks, to Lori of Recipegirl for yet ANOTHER fantastic recipe!

PARENTS Magazine: 10 Best Family Restaurants

No cooking happening for me tonight! I’m off to enjoy some delicious food for our last PTA meeting of the year. Nice way to say good-bye to the current school year, wouldn’t you agree? Since I’m taking the night off, I thought I’d share with you some information I received about the best family restaurants that I received in my email the other day. Two of my favorites are on the list – Panera Bread and Atlanta Bread Co. Not all of them are in my area, but maybe they are near you, if so leave a comment and tell me about them! One day I may be passing through your part of the country and will need a good “fast-casual” type restaurant for lunch or dinner! Below is the excerpt from the email I received, I added weblinks to the restaurants so you can check out their menus without a lot of fuss.

Parents magazine revealed the exclusive findings from its first-ever 10 Best Fast-Casual Family Restaurants survey. At a time when many household budgets don’t allow for meals out at sit-down restaurants and fast-food places aren’t exactly known for healthy menus, “fast casual” restaurants, a hybrid of the two, are increasingly popular with families across the country. Fast-casual restaurants provide quick meals, usually made from healthier ingredients, served in a more upscale setting.

The results of the 10 Best Fast-Casual Family Restaurants survey are the culmination of a two-month study which examined 50 restaurant chains nationwide. Parents focused on honoring restaurants with a variety of healthy kids’ menu offerings, family-friendly conveniences and overall value. The results of the survey will appear in the July 2009 issue of Parents magazine on newsstands nationwide June 16, 2009.

According to the Parents survey, the 10 Best Fast-Casual Restaurants are:

#1 Cosi
· 147 locations in 19 states
#2 Jason’s Deli
· 210 locations in 27 states
#3 Noodles & Company
· 205 locations in 18 states
#4 Fazoli’s
· 260 locations in 26 states
#5 Panera Bread
· 1,264 locations in 40 states
#6 Zpizza
· 91 locations in 16 states
#7 Atlanta Bread
· 103 locations in 24 states
#8 Corner Bakery Café
· 115 locations in 11 states
#9 Taco Del Mar
· 260 locations in 20 states
#10 McAlister’s Deli
· 283 locations in 22 states

“These days, tight household budgets make going out to eat as a family a real treat,” said Dana Points, editor-in-chief of Parents. “The ten restaurants on Parents' list are affordable, healthy and family-friendly.”

Each restaurant answered a 25-question survey and submitted nutritional information for all of the items on their kids’ menus. Parents then examined the calories, fat and sodium in each dish on the menu. Healthfulness and range of choices on the kids’ menu made up 70% of each restaurant’s score. The survey, which made up the remaining 30% of each restaurant’s overall ranking, included questions about family conveniences, value promotions, and kid-friendly features.

For more information about Parents magazine’s Top 10 Best Fast-Casual Family Restaurants, visit www.parents.com/bestfastrestaurants.

Toasted Pecans

Just another reminder to submit your entries for the Pace Specialty Salsa Giveaway! Click HERE for all of the details!!!! You have until Saturday to share your recipes using salsa!

Recently, I received a package of pecan halves from the Pecan Store. While they sell a nice assortment of pecans including Praline, Chocolate Covered, White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Toffee, and Arizona Brittle - just to name a few - they sent me pure, unadorned pecans. This opened up the possibilities on how I could use them.

From Family, Friends and Food

I decided to make toasted pecans! I combined some of my favorite spices - cumin, shallot salt - with butter, Worcestershire sauce and minced garlic to season them. They turned out really tasty! I even tossed some on to my salad with dinner tonight for an extra bit of crunch. Yum!

The Pecan Store is located in Arizona which is not where you'd expect to find pecan orchards! They have over 6,000 acres of pecan trees and are the largest growers of pecans in the world. Even if you are not in Arizona, you can have these fresh, delicious pecans shipped right to your doorstep! If you do, you'll find that the also have quite an assortment of products to choose from such as Arizona Herbal Spice Dip Mix which has a mix of dill, parsley, celery, onion and spices - all you do is add it to sour cream and mayo for a quick and easy dip to share with family and friends. They also have bread mixes, honey butters and BBQ sauce!

Head on over to see what they are up to at the Pecan Blog they not only share interesting bits of history on pecans over there, but also recipes and videos they find where people are using pecans to make creative dishes.

Baseball Cupcakes & Giveaway Reminder!

Don't forget to submit your recipes for my Pace Specialty Salsa Giveaway! You have until Saturday night to get them in... and, right now you've got great odds of winning! Come on, Bloggers! Join in and share your creative ideas on different ways you can use salsa in everyday cooking! For all the details, click HERE for how to enter!

Well, after my baseball cookie success, I volunteered to make cupcakes for My Oldest's end of season party. I did cheat a bit since we had a busy weekend and used a cake mix for the cupcakes... yes, I do prefer a from-scratch cupcake, but honestly the kids don't seem to care and it made life that much easier this time.

I decorated these free-hand and used a very simple buttercream frosting. Now that I've somewhat figured out baseballs, I need to move on to something different next time I decide to break out the Wilton decorating tips. The party is tonight, and I already checked with My Oldest and he said they look great. What do you think?

From Family, Friends and Food

My muffin tins must be a little shallow because I had some batter left. So, rather than let it go to waste, I poured into one of my pretty mini glass dishes and baked a small cake. I think My Boys will enjoy having a special one just for us to enjoy.

This post is going to be short but, I promise to return tomorrow with something delicious to share!

Pace Specialty Salsa Giveaway!!! (CLOSED!!)

I'm so excited to be hosting a giveaway to my readers!! When I was contacted about this giveaway it was easy to say yes because I have used their salsas for years, and finding out that they are introducing a new line of Specialty Salsas sounded like music to my Mexican food loving ears!

Now, to make things a bit more fun I want you to get creative! Whether you have a blog or not, you can join in and hopefully win:

2 jars of Pace Specialty Salsa (Black Bean & Roasted Corn Salsa, Pineapple Mango Chipotle Salsa, Mexican 4 Cheese con Queso, Salsa Verde, Pico de Gallo), plus a coupon & a Recipe Card

Now for the rules:

1. 
   
   Come up with a recipe using salsa, write about it (if you have a blog) and take a photo if possible.
2. 
   
   Link back to Family, Friends and Food.
3. 
   
   Send the link to your post on your recipe (if you have a blog) to pkfamilyfriendsandfood (at) gmail (dot) com. If you don't have a blog, you can still enter! Just email your recipe suggestion and photo (if you have one). I will respond to your email giving your entry number.
4. 
   
   The winner will be determined using Random.org since I imagine it would be too hard to pick based on the amazing dishes you will come up with for this giveaway!
5. 
   
   Giveaway is only for my U.S. readers... so sorry to anyone outside of the U.S.!

Submit your recipe by Saturday, June 20th 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The winner will be announced on Sunday, June 21st!

So, Pick up the Pace and go get cooking (sorry, I couldn't resist)! I'll be sharing my recipe using the Pace Mexican 4 Cheese con Queso on June 21st when I post the full round-up of submissions and the winner!