GF Pumpkin Loaf

GF Pumpkin Loaf

*also dairy free*

adapted from: Book of Yum

Ingredients:

2 cups GF baking flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 brown sugar

1/4 white sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp pumpkin spice

1/4 tsp all spice

1/4 tsp clove (didn't have this!)

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup applesauce (or olive oil)

directions:

preheat oven to 370 degrees!

1. mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl and create a well

2. beat eggs and blend in wet ingredients (including pumpkin and apple sauce

3. fold in wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients

4. once combined place in loaf pan ( i used two and made two smaller loafs, one for me and one for emily!)

5. bake in oven for approx. 45 minutes

also, note to self and all other protein pow users...mixing it with just almond milk and berries creates so weird texture and almost curdled on me? ew! any suggestions?

Gluten Free Chocolate Fudge Cake

Happy early birthday to the big guy, my Dad! He is turning the big 55 tomorrow but clearly shows no sign of getting old and decrepit anytime soon.  My mom and I threw together a cake after taking him out to dinner on thursday night but it was an utter failure with the 7-minute boiled frosting that my mom added to the top.  I knew as soon as she brought it into the living room (there was some game on tv he had to watch) that the vanilla frosting would not go over so well.  It resembled gooey marshmallow and had a grainy/ sugary consistency that neither I nor my dad approved. So, to make up for the awful cake I brought home some chicken wings and donated some of my "healthy" beer aka, Micholob Ultra to the cause.  It was a great success!

I also decided it was a perfect time to test out some gluten free baking using the Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour mix that I had purchased at Wegmans along with the Xanthan gum that is necessary for the majority of gluten-free baking recipes.  (Xanthan gum is used as a thickener for baking and a small bag is a whopping $11, however, you usually use only a tsp at a time).

Keep this a secret but I fed this cake to my dad and forgot to tell him that it was Gluten-free but he didn't really seem to notice and said it was actually pretty good--a bit brownie like, or torte, fudgey but a hit! What a pleasant surprise!

Fudgey goodness?

Too much for a family of three?

My mom also made these amazing lentil stuffed acorn squash which incorporated Masala spice, Tumeric, Curry and Corriander.  It brought me back to South Africa and the amazing indian and malaysia dishes that I had grown so accustomed to over the summer!

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Adapted from King Arthur Flour & Savoring Today

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Multi-purpose flour mix (I used Bob's Red Mill Baking Flour-GF)
• 1 cup Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa --Check brand for gluten free
• **I only had Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa powder but it did the trick!
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 cups sugar -- divided
• 2/3 cup butter -- softened
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup almond milk + 1 tsp vinegar (buttermilk)
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract -- gluten-free

**I added a layer of basic chocolate buttercream frosting in between the two cakes, however, do not have the recipe since my mom helped with that while I was out buying tapioca!  Feel free to whip up your own frosting or use the tasty recipe on Savoring Today.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8" or 9" round pans with cooking spray
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together  flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and 1/2 cup of the sugar
3. Place butter and 1 cup of the sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, buttermilk, water, and vanilla into your mixer bowl, and mix until well blended.
4. Blend in the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time, beating for 1 minute and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. Once all of the dry ingredients have been mixed in, beat at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, to make a smooth batter.
6. Pour the batter equally into the prepared pans. Using a kitchen scale helps to get the batter evenly divided
7. Bake the cakes for 30 to 33 minutes
8. Remove the cakes from the oven, and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn pans over onto a rack and cool cakes completely
9. Once cooled, frost cakes, or serve with powdered sugar and whipped topping

Happy Fall and happy baking :) 

Next on my list is GF Pumpkin Loaf!

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Ready. Set. Go.

These literally take 5 minutes to whip up and then a whole 10 minutes to bake.  I was told that they aren't the "best" cookie in the world but that was by my food critic boyfriend who is even pickier than I am on most days.

I came across this recipe the other night while attempting to read 100 or so pages on the history of the U.S. Healthcare System--I actually thoroughly enjoy the class and the readings but have yet to really get into the whole reading thing this semester.  I am trying every measure physically possible to focus.  What better way to focus than a little red wine and peanut butter cookies? I couldn't think of anything better at around 10pm so I came home and got to work.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free)

From: Joy The Baker

Ingredients:

1 cup all natural peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda

chocolate chips to taste!

directions:

1. Mix together sugars and peanut butter

2. add in egg and baking soda

3. sprinkle in the chocolate chips, mix and ball up on a cookie sheet

4. Bake and enjoy :)

I put these in on 350 for 12 minutes and they came out just right.  A little hint? Eat them while they're fresh and still warm!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies

adapted from Pennies on a Platter

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 whole egg

2 egg whites

1 tbsp canola oil

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a baking pan ( I used 9x9)

2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs and oil

3. In a separate bowl combine four, baking powder, salt, brown sugar and spices

4. fold the dry into the wet and add chocolate chips last

5. spread evenly in baking pan and place in oven, test before removing!

Baking time: 15-20 minutes

** I found that mine were a little mushy at first so I had to add an extra 5 minutes but it may be my oven at school!

Also, these do not have the typical "brownie" consistency and have more of a cakey/ banana bread texture but still great all the same!

Fall is finally here :)

Frozen Lemon Raspberry Chocolate Froyo Layer Cake

Long name, amazing results? I definitely stole that from some awful commercial with a phone number that is easy to memorize but oh well.  I have no idea what to call this dessert so Frozen Lemon Raspberry Chocolate Froyo Layer Cake will just have to suffice.

Some amazing girl, Carla, From UR and Alpha Phi told me about this dessert the other day and I HAD HAD HAD to try it out.  Of course now the weather is muggy and rainy so it isn't exactly the best time to be enjoying it at a BBQ but I had a slice the other night and it hit the spot.  Trust me when I tell you its easy and delicious.

Frozen Lemon Raspberry Chocolate Froyo Layer Cake

adapted from Carla G.

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (carla used vanilla I took the lemon route)

**try substituting plain apple sauce for the oil to save on fat and calories

1 pint frozen yogurt (Raspberry Chocolate Chunch Greek Yogurt by Ben and Jerry's for me)

1 container Cool Whip Lite

2 Throw away aluminum loaf pans

Directions:

1. mix and bake cake mix in the two loaf pans (separated evenly)

2. Meanwhile, place froyo and cool whip in refrigerator or on counter to let thaw

3. remove from pans and let cool

4. slice cakes length wise and remove the very top layer

5. combine froyo and part of the cool whip (to desired texture)

6. layer back in loaf pans alternating cake/froyo mix/cake

7. place remaining cool whip on top and decorate with berries if desired

8. place in freezer and remove approx. 15 minutes prior to eating

9. slice and enjoy :)

Thanks Carla!

Mexican Breakfast Wrap

I've been attempting to blog for days now.  Now more than ever I have had people tell me that they're catching up with my life or finding recipes to try on ohsomiscellanea and needless to say I'm pumped.

After being home for a little over a week I am finally settling into somewhat of a routine which will hopefully last until I head back to school in a few short weeks.  It is so hard to believe that the summer (my six weeks in Cape Town to be exact) flew by so fast and now I am back home in NY. Part of me wishes that I was still in South Africa but there is a bigger part of me that both wanted and needed to be home.

So, starting back with something simple...here is a delicious breakfast wrap that I whipped up a few days ago:

So simple yet so delicious.

2 eggs scrambled with crushed red pepper and parsley

Dark leafy lettuce

salsa

multigrain wrap

goat feta

Black bean burrito filling (leftovers!)

Recipe: "Healthier" Bran Muffins

Here's another muffin recipe for you.  Sorry for the lack of real juicy posts lately--I know some of you, or maybe all of you, could care less about the recipes I come up with in my spare time.  I should probably stop baking because all I do is bake and then eat....all of them.  I figured that I won't have homemade baked goods for 6 weeks so why not make as many as I can before leaving.  That includes other items like pizza and gelato, yum!

So I love bran muffins.  Call me a freak or a health snob but I cannot get by without a good bran muffin recipe.  My mom makes the best ones I know--healthier than most places since bran muffins from bakeries, cafes and places like tim hortons, Starbucks and dunkin donuts can pack some serious fat, sugar and calories...yuck.  Why disguise a unhealthy muffin as healthy by tacking on the word bran?  If i'm eating a bran muffin it sure as hell better be a healthy one.

"Healthier" Bran Muffins

half batch. Double if you'd like more!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup brown sugar (or 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar)

1/2 box bran cereal **I used plain bran flakes

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk **

I used two cups almond milk and 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 egg/ 1 egg white (if using oil use 2 eggs)

3/4 cup vanilla chobani 0% (or 1 cup oil)

Raisins or other dried fruit to taste

Directions:

1. combine dry ingredients in large bowl

2. make a well

3. combine wet ingredients, make sure to whisk egg together with yogurt or oil.

4. pour wet into the dry

5. mix well

Bake: 400 degrees for 20 minutes

**these are a "bit" chewier than other muffins but I really like them.  My mom complained of the lack of sugar but I found them to be quite enjoyable!

Two Recipes: Lunch & Dessert

Good morning and happy thursday.  I cannot believe how cold it is outside today--cold relative to the 90 degree weather we were experiencing last weekend.  I sure hope it warms up for all the festivities this weekend (bonfire tonight, out tomorrow, game saturday and concert sunday!)

Anyways, yesterday I had great plans of making protein shakes and egg salad along with some sort of dessert.  The good news? I did it all plus a little cleaning and laundry AND had time to work, walk and go to Wegmans with a friend.

So in case you missed this one on pinterest or your time spent checking out other blogs, here is some Egg and Avocado Salad!

Ingredients:

5 eggs (3 without yolks)

1 tbsp Lt. Mayo

1 Avocado

Grape Tomatos

Salt, Pepper, Cumin to taste

Boil 5 eggs, chill and remove the yolks from 2-3 of them (this removes some of the extra stuff that you don't really really need). Chop with either a food processor or by hand.  

Mix in 1 sliced and chopped avocado. Add desired amount of Mayo. Add salt, pepper and cumin to taste. Mix again and enjoy :)

This was the perfect dinner along with some tomato soup at work.  The avocado didn't brown for a few hours so it was the perfect yellow, white and green color (which scared my mother who refused to try it).

After work I went for a quick walk/ run with my mom and decided to try something of my own (aka no recipe).  

This is what I came up with:

Broiled Peaches with Vanilla Yogurt and Pomegranate Balsamic Drizzle.

Ingredients

1 peach (cut in half)

Brown Sugar

Granola

Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt

Sweet balsamic vinegar

sprinkle brown sugar on halved peaches and let sit for 5 minutes.  Place in broiler on 400 for 4-5 minutes.

remove and add granola of choice (I used Be Kind honey granola)

Dolup of Vanilla Yogurt

F. Olivers royal pomegranate drizzle to finish.

These recipes so so easy, delicious and just the right amount for a snack, lunch or dessert, enjoy!

Chocolate Blueberry Morning Blast

Okay so I definitely have gotten back to my favorite summer routine of getting up early, exercising and coming home to make a great breakfast and blog about either that or something else more exciting..okay maybe not so much the more exciting part since I have been busy working every day but there will be more exciting days to come.

Last night during my evening boredom slump after work I made myself a list of some recipes I want to try this week

Here is what I came up with:

1. Egg and Avocado salad

2. Protein shakes (post-workout)

3. Greek Quinoa Salad

4. Protein pancakes

5. Oatmeal Peanut butter & carob chip squares

6. Cedar Plank Salmon with some sort of salsa (thanks wegmans!)

Today I am tackling the first two and am starting bright and early.  I was up by 8 and went to Cardio Pump with my cousin.  This whole group class environment is pretty foreign to me since I love working out and running by myself (it is my "me" time) but it was actually a challenging workout and I had fun doing it.

Into the mix:

1 packet of chocolate spire-tein protein powder

1 cup blueberries

8 oz almond milk

oh so creamy but a bit too chocolatey, maybe i'll try vanilla next time and less milk! This baby mae two batches for me.

Do you use protein powder? If so, what kinds and if not, why not?

Recipe: Egg White Protein Oats

So yesterday I woke up early and started my day with a little pinterest.  I am addicted, I know this but the whole website is amazing and great for getting new ideas for crafts, exercises and meals.

I saw that my friend Clare had posted some amazing recipe/photo of microwave oats with an egg in them.  I thought, wow so easy and a great protein meal.  It was then decided that I would try my kitchen skills out with oats, eggs and a microwave.

I used the following:

1/4 cup quick oats

a dash of cinnamon (a lot actually)

1 whole egg

a little almond milk 

handful of  blueberries

put all these in a mug and whip them up.  Microwave for 2 minutes and volia!  I will warn you that when doing this in a coffee mug the oats puff up beyond the mug which caused the loss of some blueberries and a whole lot of juice to go all over the microwave (messy cleanup!)

These were...mhhh, okay. I wasn't impressed with how much I could actually taste the egg but I added some more almond milk and brown sugar and we were good to go.  Since I was working all day yesterday it was a good thing I had such a hearty breakfast, this baby lasted me until I got out of work at 4pm (I was starving at 2 but didn't have time) so A good meal to hold you over for, say, 5 hours!

Today I went with a different mix:

1 egg white

1/4 cup multigrain oats (different from yesterday)

dash of cinnamon

almond milk

water

The first batch didn't have enough liquid and I got more of an oatmeal/ egg crunch pancake. So I tried again to make sure I had the right amount of liquid per oats.

Volia!  Added some organic crunchy PB, strawberries, blueberries and half a nanner.

Nothing like sweet summertime!

Summer Time Smoothies

It is finally summer and I am quickly falling back into my "typical" summer routine.  When I say typical I mean, yes, typical for me.  I'm not sure there are many other college students that enjoy getting up early to run followed with thinking up some delicious replenishing breakfast. 

 I decided to embrace my typical routine by getting up and running a short 2 miles with my mom followed with my first trip back to the YMCA.  I realized how spoiled I am to have a membership in the city to an all women's gym--specialized machines, comfortable and no strange stairs from the locals. Oh I will definitely be missing that for the coming weeks.  I honestly cannot tell you why I take such issue with readjusting to a gym that I used to be so familiar with but I am almost always stricken with fear that seriously puts a damper on my workout.  However, I pushed through, found the machines that I am used to working with and made myself a list of free weight exercises to do and volia--done.

This morning I had decided to start in with some smoothies and had been craving one ever since I made up my mind.  I had seen this idea on Pinterest which led me a blog with a brief description of how it works--honestly it is pretty self explanatory but here is a picture for all you visual learners out there:

Courtesy of Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs.

Steps:

1. Buy or find a cheap blender

2. Remove the main pitcher that it comes with and separate blade (be careful this is sharp!)

3. fill a medium sized mason jar with your smoothie of choice

4. place blade on top of mason jar, attach the piece that holds everything together

5. flip and place on the blender. 

** I find that holding it down works best since the jar doesn't completely screw into the blender mechanism.

Think Magic Bullet on a budget--except this is better since the Magic Bullet is (a) $50 and (b) pretty time consuming with all those parts that seem to get lost!

Full and beautiful with lots of protein and antioxidants!

Ready to drink!

The recipe for today:

1/2 frozen banana

1/4 (give or take) Wegmans mixed frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries & blackberries)

1 container of chobani

1/2 a packet of Spiruten Vanilla Protein Powder

1/2 cup (i didn't measure)? Almond Milk

Blend and enjoy!

Recipe: Chicken Marsala & Whipped Carrots

Yesterday was full of exercise.  I started the morning off with a 2 mile run at the gym followed by some stretching and brief ab workout.  I came home, showered and headed to an appointment which was conveniently located next to the local ice skating rink.  So, I popped in for a quick 45 minute skating session and came home to a 10 minute yoga video.

Needless to say I had my fair share of energy and heart rate boosting activity for one day which of course had to be followed by a ton of healthy foods (minus the two peanut butter balls I devoured).  Brendan and I stopped at Starbucks where I ordered my trusty Soy Misto (half coffee & half steamed soy) and reviewed my abroad essay.  We perused websites and cookbooks for a delicious dinner but were unsatisfied with any that we came across.  Instead we decided to hit the grocery store without a plan and hope that something came to us while racing the aisles. 

The result? Chicken Marsala.

This recipe is rather simple and requires few ingredients, so few that it only cost us $9 to make but tasted like a $20 meal from one of the finest italian restaurants in town.

Ingredients:

(Half if you're making a smaller portion)

Emeril's Chicken Marsala

1/2 cup flour

1 tbsp creole essence seasoning

2 (6-8 oz) chicken breasts, sliced length wise

1 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp unsalted butter

3 cups sliced shittake mushrooms

3/4 cup Marsala

1 cup chicken stock

Salt, Pepper and Chive to taste & garish

Directions:

(1) In a shallow bowl combine flour and essence, stir to combine.  "Dredge" the chicken breasts in mixture and shake to remove excess flour.

(2) Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, do not allow to smoke.

(3) add 1 tbsp butter and cook chicken until browned on both sides (should take around 3 minutes)

(4) Remove chicken and set aside for later

(5) add 1 tbsp butter and add chopped mushrooms.  Cook and stir until golden brow.  Add Marsala Wine and bring to a boil and allow to reduce by half.

(6) Add chicken stop and cook until sauce has thickened.

(7) lower heat and add chicken breasts until they have fully cooked and sauce is thickened. Add remaining butter and dash salt and pepper to taste

For the Carrots simply wash, deskin (I didn't know that this was a requirement!), boil or steam add milk or water and butter and whip away.

Delicious!

So Little Time: Chicken French & Reading

Hello again! Hope your monday has treated you well. I wanted to quickly share my amazing dinner that I made myself tonight, Chicken French!

Savory and probably not too great for you, but still hit the spot on a cold monday night.

I added a bit of caprese salad on the side but it really isn't too appetizing to my stomach right now. At least I tried.  

Chicken French

quick and easy

**I did not use measurements so these are estimates**

1-2 thinly sliced chicken breast

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 eggs

oil for pan

1. Crack two eggs in a dish large enough to fit chicken breast. Add lemon.  Let breast soak in egg for 1-2 minutes.

2. Combine flour and spices in separate bowl and place chicken in dry mixture. Allow for chicken to become fully dusted with flour

3. Place in pan on medium heat. Make sure pan is coated with oil.  Once chicken is placed in pan, add desired amt. of white wine. 

4. Thoroughly cook on both sides until chicken is cooked through. Time will vary on thickness of breast.

Last Friday night I made something else worth sharing:

Sweet Potato Fries (Healthy-ish)!

These babies are oven baked to perfection

What you'll need:

1 large sweet potato/ yam

salt to taste

pepper to taste

olive oil to coat

Hardware:

Aluminum foil

Cookie Sheet

Just chop, mix and pop in the oven for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.

S'more Brownies & An Apology

Late nighters are not my thing. Procrastination typically is not either. However, after an amazing weekend with BPG, Brendan and friends I am faced with the dilemma of completing tons of work so I can enjoy my Thanksgiving break, work and stress free.  I understand that many folks choose to catch up over Thanksgiving break as they prepare for the final weeks of school but I prefer to relax, eat turkey, be merry and prepare for the upcoming holiday season. 

That being said, I may not be around as much as usual but I do hope you tune into reading whenever I am able to post. Don't lose faith in me just yet folks, I'm still here.

To keep up with a little posting I am taking a break, aka procrastinating, from reading about Managed Care and HMOs. Fun reading? No.  At least I was able to push through 6 out of the 10 pages for my paper that is due Friday!

If you're missing summer at all, try these:

S'more Fudge Bomb Brownies

Once you try one you'll want Some-more. haha, yeah I really am that pathetic. Seriously though, these babies

Ingredients

1 Brownie Mix (I chose Ghireadelli Double Chocolate!)

1 Package of Graham Crackers

Large Marshmallows

3 Hershey's Bars (Dark Chocolate)

1. Bake Brownies in a 8x8 pan, use the instructions on mix to do this.  If you prefer taking the time for homemade brownies all the more power to you

Options:

2a. After brownies are fully cooked, remove from oven and place hershey's bars on top. Top these with Marshmallow so that entire surface is covered. Place in oven on top shelf & broil on high until browned! **This method causes chocolate bars to melt into brownie while browning the marshmallow, creates a very oozy gooey "fudgey" brownie.  May require refrigeration!!

OR

2b. Remove brownies from oven and place marshmallow on top so that the entire surface is covered.  Place in oven on top shelf & broil on high until browned (2-3 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled remove from pan, add chocolate and graham cracker!

I went with the first plan and the result was an ooey gooey Fudge Bomb of a S'more Brownie!

They look like perfectly cooked marshmallows from your bonfire!

Cut and enjoy! For added yumminess I added a graham cracker to the bottom of each so that you could eat it as a real s'more. I am addicted.

I cannot give full credit to these since I tried my first S'more brownie in the Adirondacks with Brendan this summer. Jo Jo of course great a great meal for the weekly Saturday picnic and included these as dessert!