sunlit wheat field

ok, you caught me on this one. i haven’t thought about wheat germ in a long time. but, apparently we should start! wheat germ is a concentrated source of several essential nutrients including vitamin e, vitamin b, iron, selenium, folate (folic acid), phosphorus, thiamine, magnesium, immune boosting zinc and is also a good source of fiber. and, with 7 grams of protein per 1/4 cup serving, it’s also an incredible source protein. who knew!

basically, things like white bread are made with white flour that has had the germ and brand removed (who’s idea was that?). the good news is we can easily start adding wheat germ back into our diets. look for it in your health food store’s refrigerated department and start adding into your protein shakes, casseroles, muffins, pancakes, cereals, yogurt, cookies and other baked goods. just substitute 1/4 of the flour with wheat germ in batters and doughs or swap in wheat germ for half of the breadcrumbs in casseroles or the like.

resources: vegetarian times (spring 2011), wheat germ on wiki

wrap up: {baking} {diet} {flour} {forgotten ingredients} {health} {nutrition} {vitamins} {wheat germ}

I really like scones as a little treat with coffee, or to serve when family stays overnight, as ours did last weekend. I made them on Friday and kept them air-tight until Sunday morning – they were perfect for breakfast! Scones are so easy to customize and there are so many variations. This recipe in particular is great for breakfast because there is almost as much oatmeal as flour, and not a lot of sugar. You can even substitute the dried cherries for another dried fruit or nut of your choice.

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

ingredients

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp course salt

1 stick of butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup dried cherries, other dried fruit, or nuts

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup soy milk ( or skim milk, or even buttermilk, as Martha suggests – I preferred soy)

1 tsp vanilla extract

sanding sugar for sprinkling on top

directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or just line with parchment paper if you have it.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt; add butter pieces. Use your fingers to incorporate the butter into the dry mixer (or use a fork to mash the butter really well). At this point, the mixture should be very course; add the dried cherries.

In another bowl, stir together the egg, milk, and vanilla. Add this to the flour mixture and stir well. The resulting dough will be a lot like cookie dough. I sandwich the ball of dough between two pieces of floured wax paper. I found that this reduces the dough sticking to the rolling pin, as you roll the dough out about an inch thick. You can roll it into a rectangle, cutting out eight equal pieces, or roll it into a circle, cutting out eight wedges, like a pizza. Brush each slice with a little milk and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Place your cut dough pieces on the greased or lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned on top. After removing, sprinkle with sanding sugar again. These are best served if they’re a little warm – but I love them room temperature as well!

Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {ashley pahl} {baking} {breakfast} {fruit} {oatmeal} {recipes} {scones}

i’m pretty sure i married the cookie monster. personally, i’m a brownie kinda gal, but one thing’s for sure- i definitely married into a cookie family. and i count that as a good thing, as i’ve grown to appreciate the scrumptious rounds tremendously.

this is my mom-in-law (aka cookie queen)’s recipe, and it’s tried, true, and totally delicious. at her house, they are made at least 2-3x a week, and though it’s much less at our house (sorry, dave!) they are definitely our favorite dessert.

of course, we were a bit frightened about what our latest vegan adventure would mean for this favorite recipe, but i’m happy to say that with a few vegan substitutes they turned out just as good- honestly! i couldn’t believe it.. below, i’ll give you the original recipe as well as our vegan substitutes. yum yum!

recipe:

combine:
- 1 cup butter {vegan sub: earth balance butter}
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
mix above ingredients in an electric mixer.

add:
- 2 eggs {vegan sub: 1/2 cup of apple sauce OR 2 flax eggs}
mix again!

add:
- 2-1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
mix!

add:
- 12 oz vegan chocolate chips and mix

spoon out onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 12-15 mins- enjoy!

wrap up: {baking} {chocolate chip cookies} {cookies} {dessert} {recipes} {vegan} {vegetarian}

I’m pretty much a from scratch kind of girl, so breakfasts around here are almost always home made.  But when we got a puppy… well, I just don’t have much time anymore!  The morning routine that gave us some time to make pancakes or scones (at least on the weekend) has gone out the window and been replaced with one that shoves our meal to the side in favour of walks and kibble.  And that extra time for baking bread in the afternoon?  That’s disappeared too.  Thank goodness for granola!  One batch lasts us almost 2 weeks and it takes almost no time at all to make.  It would take even less time if my oven had more than one rack!

Feel free to play around with the ingredients, adding different nuts and seeds to suit your taste.  I love adding sesame seeds and pistachios, and hemp or flax are great, healthy additions.  And while this granola is great with milk, my favorite way to eat it is with yogurt and fresh berries.

Granola

8 cups rolled oats (not instant!)
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, either works)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup honey, agave, or maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups dried fruit

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a big bowl mix together the oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut.

In a small saucepan melt the butter with the honey.  Add the cinnamon and vanilla then pour over the oat mixture.  Mix well.  Spread out on 3 parchment lined baking sheets.

If you can fit them, put all of your sheets of granola in the oven at once.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Rotate trays back to front and swap racks if you’re baking more than one sheet at a time.  Bake for another 8 minutes.  Check the granola.  It should be golden brown and smell amazing!  I don’t like to stir it while it’s baking so that I get nice big clumps.  If it needs more time let it bake longer, but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.  Mine is normally done in 2o minutes but I have a 60 year old oven with only one oven rack!  Baking with more than one sheet at a time might take a bit longer.

Chelsea Rogers has been cooking and crafting… and not cleaning up for as long as she can remember.  When she’s not making a mess, you can find her on Pretty Lulu and An Abundance of Apricots.

wrap up: {baking} {cooking} {granola} {home} {recipe}