Monster Cookies

Happy Halloween! This week, I made some awesome monster cookies to send to a friend. They're high in fiber, with a touch of color from M&M's and a few omega 3's from peanuts :) Forget Halloween candy - our trick-or-treaters are getting individually packaged baby carrots - these cookies are a great way to celebrate Halloween. If everyone weren't so concerned about providing individually wrapped treats to kids, I'd gladly serve them these monster cookies.

I'm sure they'll appreciate the baby carrots just as much (...right)?

My husband is getting used to my baking style. He knows right off the bat to ask what substitutions I made. And, of course he's right. The biggest substitution with these cookies is the fat. I cut out half the fat and replaced it with applesauce. You can't even tell. There is also peanut butter in these cookies, so that keeps a bit more fat in them, but provides some other nutrients (protein!) at the same time.

The texture of these cookies is perfect. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. And, easy to bake. They're hearty enough to take on a hike for a refueling snack. But, they're enough of a treat to count as dessert.



Monster Cookies
Adapted from Taste of Home


1 c peanut butter
1/4 c butter
1/4 c applesauce
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 c thick rolled oats
1 c M&M's
1 c chocolate chips
Handful of peanuts
2 c flour

In kitchen-aid or large bowl, cream peanut butter, butter, applesauce and sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between until each egg is fully incorporated. Add baking soda and vanilla.

In food processor or blender, pulse 2 cups of the thick rolled oats until they are chopped slightly. (You don't want them completely pulverized into oat flour here). Add the chopped oats, along with the remaining oats to the peanut butter mixture and stir until combined. (Be careful turning on the kitchen aid, the oats might spray everywhere. Yes, I did this). Let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees.

After the cookie dough has rested for 10 minutes, stir in the flour. This is hard work. I used a very hefty wooden spoon, and had to take a few breaks. Make sure all the flour gets blended in.

Using an ice cream scoop (these are monster cookies, after all), portion cookie dough onto lightly greased baking sheet (I used a Silpat and did not grease anything). I could fit 6-8 balls of cookie dough onto my sheet.

Bake for about 18 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to rack to cool. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Skinny Buckwheat Breadsticks

Don't these look fun? I found the recipe and had to try making them. And, they're the perfect compliment to fall soups like butternut squash soup, carrot soup, or roasted tomato soup.

Plus, they give some height to the table setting, making a nice centerpiece. I think I slightly undercooked these, because they we're as crispy as I imagined, and broke apart easily (and they're so skinny, like a straw). But, I think if they had baked just a bit longer, they would have held up better.

Getting buckwheat flour is probably the hardest part of this recipe. It might not be in your standard grocery store. Although, if there is a gluten free section, you can try there (yes, despite the name, buckwheat flour is gluten free).  Or, you could try a natural foods store. I found mine in the bulk foods section of a local natural foods store.

Another benefit of these skinny breadsticks is that they're made completely from whole grain flours! The combination of whole wheat and buckwheat lends a deeper, nuttier flavor to these breadsticks. And, you just can't find that in plain old white flour!

After you have the buckwheat flour, the rest is easy. Combine flour, thyme, and butter into coarse crumbs (I use my hands for this to get it done quickly) If you have a food processor, this is the time to use it. Then, add cheese and a bit of water. Freeze the dough - it works the best if it is cold. Then, roll out some long twiggy breadsticks!

Here's the last of the thyme from our herb garden, chopped and ready to go!

I combined the thyme with the flours and butter and mixed with my hands until it resembled peas. Alternatively, you could use a food processor or even two butter knives held together.

Then, add the cheese and some ice water. mix just until a dough forms. Flatten it into a square and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to freeze (at least for 30 minutes).

Remove the dough from the freezer, and roll it into long straw shapes. See how mine are almost as long as my baking sheet?

Skinny Buckwheat Breadsticks
Adapted slightly from 101 cookbooks. 


1/2 c buckwheat flour
1 c whole wheat flour
2 pinches fine sea salt
1 tsp fresh or dried thyme
1/2 c butter, cold, cut into small pieces
3/4 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c ice cold water

Mix flours, salt and thyme together until blended. Add the butter. Work quickly, using fingers to combine the butter with the flours. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs when you're done. Alternatively, you could pulse in a food processor or use two butter knives to cut the butter into the flour.

Add the cheese and sprinkle with water. Using your (washed) hand, mix until the dough comes together into a loose ball. Dump dough onto plastic wrap and press into a square shape, about 1 inch thick. Wrap tightly and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

When you remove the dough from the freezer, it's easier to work with half at a time. So, cut the dough in half and return the other half to the freezer until you're ready to work with it. Roll out the dough into a long rectangle, about 6 inches x 12 inches. Using a sharp knife, cut into 1/2 inch slices. Using your fingers, pinch and roll each slice of dough into a long twig, about 12 inches long. Transfer to baking sheet.

It might take a few tries to really get the hang of rolling these out, but hang in there. It gets easier.

Bake about 8-10 minutes, or until the twigs are set and the cheese is melty and golden where it is touching the pan. Then, remove from oven and flip the twigs to the other side. Bake for another 2-3 minutes. Be careful - because they are so skinny they will bake really quickly. But, you still want them to be crispy, so take care not to under-bake them either. Remove from the oven and let cool. They will crisp more as they cool.

The remaining half of dough can be stored in the freezer for another fall soup day, or you can bake them all at once.

Display as a fun centerpiece on your table!

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

It's finally fall in Iowa. I mean, the trees have been changing colors for a while now. And the big walnut tree that towers over our house has been dropping walnuts onto our driveway like crazy.  But, it has still been 75-80 degrees outside. That's not fall weather.

Today, though, there was frost on the car windows this morning. And it's cool. One of those days where you don't quite need a coat, but a warm vest is definitely a plus!

That means, it's the perfect time to start cooking with butternut squash again. It's one of my favorites. I've made butternut squash risotto, and butternut squash soup, but I'm ready for something new: Butternut squash macaroni and cheese! I have a husband who happens to love cheesy, creamy, goodness (i.e. macaroni and cheese).

But, these cheesy creamy foods are often loaded with saturated fat (from all the heavy cream and cheese), and calories. And, they often lack vegetables and fiber.

Well, this macaroni and cheese is a step in the right (I mean, healthy) direction. By utilizing squash puree as part of the cheese sauce, the amount of cheese can be decreased (cutting fat and calories) and you still end up with a creamy sauce!

For you parents out there, this is also a great way to "sneak" a vegetable into a kid-friendly food. They probably won't even notice. Usually, I'd prefer to be honest with kids about foods they are eating and encourage them to try new foods (i.e. vegetables) as they are. I think this helps kids to be healthy eaters as they grow up. If the only way kids will eat vegetables is if they don't know they are present in their foods, this does not help them get used to eating vegetables.

But, when warm macaroni and cheese is the only thing kids are hungry for, it's nice to know you can feed them a healthier option.

Probably the most annoying part of this recipe is chopping up the butternut squash into cubes. For those of you who have never done it, start by cutting the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Then cut in half again. With a sharp knife, cut the hard outer peel off the squash (annoying part). After that, it's easy to cut into cubes.

I used a vegetable bouillon cube to make vegetable stock. It's more economical to keep my kitchen stocked with a few of these bouillon cubes than to buy the ready-made stocks in quart-sized containers. Eventually, I hope to start making my own vegetable stock. It's not that hard, just takes a bit of time and planning.

The brilliance of this recipe is the 3-cheese blend. Instead of using cheddar cheese or (gasp) Velveeta, it uses harder cheeses like Romano, Parmesean, and Gruyere. The strong flavors of these harder cheeses make a little go a long way. Plus, the squash will make the sauce orange (so kids will still think it's a classic macaroni and cheese).

Once the squash is cooked in milk and broth, it's pureed and mixed with the cheese (and pepper) to make the sauce.

Mix sauce with pasta and bake! Looks pretty tasty, right?

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from Cooking Light (you can find the original here)


3 c cubed (and peeled) butternut squash
1 1/4 c vegetable broth
1 1/2 c nonfat milk
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 c shredded gruyere cheese
1 c shredded pecorino romano cheese
1/4 c finely shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese (I used Parmesean), divided
1 lb uncooked pasta of your choice (preferably whole wheat)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 c bread crumbs
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley, or dried parsley flakes
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender. (About 25 minutes). Remove from heat.

While the squash is simmering, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well.

Place hot squash mixture in a blender. Be careful not to overfill the blender because the hot liquid will expand. I did this in two separate batches. Blend until smooth.

Add pureed squash and grated cheeses (only use 2 TBSP parmigiano-reggiano cheese, reserve the remainder) to mixing bowl and stir until cheese is melted. Add pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta to cheese sauce and stir to coat evenly.

Coat 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread pasta and cheese sauce evenly into pan.

Heat oil in medium skillet. Add bread crumbs and cook until golden and crispy. Stir in remaining 2 TBSP of parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Sprinkle over top of pasta mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley.

NOTE: Make sure you cook the pasta very well. I cooked mine to al dente, then when I baked the macaroni and cheese, it absorbed some liquid from the cheese sauce, making it less creamy than I (or my husband) would have liked.

Tomato Jam

Tomato jam - the perfect blend of sweet and savory. Eat it on crackers with cheese, on a toasted baguette, as a spread for sandwiches, or over grilled fish or chicken. I bought a whole box of end-of-the-season tomatoes at the farmers market and this jam was the perfect use for them. 

We wait all year for fresh tomatoes. And when they're ripe, there are so many, it's impossible to eat them all. Enter tomato jam and the water bath canning method. (Don't be intimidated, it's not that hard. Just a big pot of boiling water.)

There are some fun surprises in this tomato jam. Like, green apples and vinegar, cumin and coriander! I didn't create the recipe, but I'm pretty sure they're the key. I can't wait to taste it.

First, though, there is a lot of chopping to do! I had to sit down for this part. Chopping 7-8 lbs of tomatoes plus apples and onions takes a bit of time, so why not pull up a chair?

Here are all my ingredients after I finally got all the chopping done. Let the cooking process begin. You're going to want to be home all day for this. A rainy Sunday in Iowa is perfect. There's nothing else going on.  

Full disclosure: This needs to be stirred every half hour or so. I figured that out because the first time I made it, I completely ignored it for 2 1/2 hours, and it was burned, big time. With a very thick crust of char stuck to the bottom of my pan. So, stir. You don't want all the chopping to go to waste!

This has been simmering for about 3-4 hours. Not quite there yet. But, check out the change in color from the first picture. It's getting to be a rich, deep red. And that is the exact color we're going for. 

Here's the set-up on my stove. Once the jam is just about there, start the boiling water for the water bath. I put the glass jars right in the water. This serves 2 purposes. First, the jars need to be sterilized so you don't have any bacteria growing in there while you leave this jam on your shelf for 6 months. Second, you want the jars to be warm, so after you fill them and put them in the boiling water, you don't want the jars to shatter or crack because of a temperature difference. 

I also have a small pot in the very back that is boiling the lids for the jars. These need to be sterile too.

Once the water is boiling, it's time to fill the jars. Make sure to leave 1/4 inch "headspace" at the top. This prevents the jars from spilling over as the jam heats up in the boiling water.  Then, the lids go one, along with the rims and into the boiling water they go!  (In canning terminology, this is called "processing.")

I ended up with 9 1/2 pints of tomato jam! It tastes great on triscuits with some blue cheese on top!

Tomato Jam

Adapted from In Jennie's Kitchen. Please see her blog for more details. The original recipe makes a smaller amount, so if you're hesitant to try this start small and see what you think!

7-ish lbs of fresh tomatoes, chopped in large pieces

2 small onions, chopped

3 small green apples, chopped

1 c brown sugar

3 c white sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 c cider vinegar

Juice of 2 lemons (or use bottled lemon juice)

Mix all the ingredients in a big pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. This is going to need to simmer for a long time, about 6 hours. Make sure to stir every half hour or so to prevent burning.

Once the jam is thickened and of a spreadable consistency, transfer into sterilized jars (that you had waiting in boiling water). Put sterilized lids on and tighten the rims slightly. Put back into water bath canner for 15 minutes. Then remove and leave untouched for 24 hrs. After 24 hrs check to make sure the jars have sealed. To do this, press in the center of the lid. If it moves, the jar is not sealed and must be refrigerated and used within a few weeks. Otherwise, the sealed jars can be stored long-term.

Ginger Peach Muffins

The best way to start off a morning baking muffins? A nice mug of warm tea. Specifically Chai Roobios Yogi Tea with Vanilla Soymilk. That is the way to start a morning right!

I have missed my morning tea routine. Since living through the hottest July in Iowa in over 60 years, I haven't felt much like drinking warm tea in the morning (the average temperature was something like 78 degrees, which makes it sound much better than it was. It was awful). I woke up too hot already! Now that it's approaching fall, however, the mornings are cool and refreshing, and begging for hot tea.

With tea made, it's time to start muffins! I chose the ginger peach muffins from Kim Boyce's cookbook Good to the Grain. Her cookbook is amazing, you should really check it out. She guides you through every step, plus uses a variety of whole grain flours (amaranth and teff anyone?) to make super tasty treats.

The ginger peach muffins stood out this morning because early September is the perfect season for peaches, and the ginger smells like fall.

I know to respect the original author of the recipe, I'm supposed to make the recipe once following the directions exactly as written, no matter how tempting it is to make substitutions and small adjustments. I've never been good at that. I try, especially with Kim's recipes, because I can tell she really knows what she's doing.

And, admittedly, I have a lot to learn.

So I used the full amount of butter the recipe calls for. (Usually, I always sub out half and add applesauce for the other half). But, I didn't grease the muffin tins with butter, I used cooking spray (come on, it's way easier and not nearly as messy!). And, I didn't have sour cream, I had plain yogurt, so I used that instead. (I actually never buy sour cream, because I always sub plain yogurt for it. Yes, even on baked potatoes and enchiladas).

And I used nonfat milk, instead of whole milk, which the recipe calls for.

I know, I'm sorry Kim. It's just the dietitian in me. Why use whole milk, when you can get away with nonfat? Cuts fat and calories, and no one knows!

And one more thing - I didn't measure the grated ginger out. Or the crystallized ginger. I totally eye-balled the amounts. Which means, my guesses were probably no where near the specific amounts the recipe called for.

There is one thing I definitely trusted the recipe on. Kim says to let the muffins cool before eating, because the oat flour is moist when it's warm. When I was trying to twist the muffins out of their cups to cool on their sides, they were so soft! Some of them got a bit destroyed. But after 15 minutes of cooling, they had firmed up. So, trust us on the waiting!

Despite all my small adjustments to the recipe - the muffins tasted awesome! They had such a true ginger flavor (maybe from all the ginger I grated and didn't measure). And every so often, one bite had a chunk of crystallized ginger in it!

There is no ginger powder here! They don't taste like mini gingerbreads with a peach on top. It's a much more simple ginger flavor, glazed with a fruity peach on top.

The recipe is simple enough.  Start by mixing the dry ingredients together.

Then, mix the wet ingredients together.

Then, add the wet to the dry and you're done with the batter. Now the only thing left is to scoop them into muffin tins and lay the sliced peaches on top!

And, wait for them to cool before digging in! I know, it's hard. But trust me, it will be worth it.

Ginger Peach Muffins
Adapted from Kim Boyce's Good to the Grain


Butter for tins
2 TBSP + 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Peach Topping:
1 lg or 2 small peaches, ripe but firm
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP honey

Dry Mix:
1 c oat flour
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Wet Mix:
3/4 stick butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 c milk (I used nonfat)
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 egg
3 TBSP finely chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure the rack is in the middle. Grease muffin tins with butter.

Grate the ginger into a large bowl. Some will be used for the topping, and the rest goes in the batter.

Start with the peach topping. Slice the peach into 1/4 inch slices. Add butter, honey and 1 tsp of grated ginger to a medium-sized skillet. Heat on medium-high heat until the mixture is melted and starting to bubble. Add the peaches, and toss the pan to coat them. Set aside.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl (but not the one with the grated ginger in it - that's for the wet ingredients). Whisk the wet ingredients into the bowl with the grated ginger. Using a rubber spatula, mix the wet ingredients into the dry and combine.

Scoop the batter into muffin tins, mounding it slightly above the edge. Toss the pan of peaches once more, to coat with the juices. Tuck one peach slice slightly into the batter, and lay another slice across the top. Make a V-shape with the peach slices. Spoon pan juices over the peaches.

Bake for 24-28 minutes. The muffins are done when they smell nutty and the bottoms are golden brown. The edges of the peaches should be caramelized. Twist each muffin out and place it on its side in the cup to cool. This will ensure it stays crusty instead of getting soggy. (Note: I tried this and the muffins pretty much fell apart. Maybe they needed to bake longer, or maybe I just needed to wait for them to cool a bit before trying to twist them.)