Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did you know that cookies made with whole wheat flour are good for you?  And if you grind your own wheat berries to make the whole wheat flour - then the cookie calories don't count at all.  Seriously.  That's what I'm going with anyway :)

I was curious to see what this recipe would be like since I have never used whole wheat when making cookies, but let me tell ya, they are awesome!  I gave one to my teenager and she didn't notice a thing.  She even asked for another one :)

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Allrecipes.com

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups siflted whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix in vanilla and eggs.  Combine flours, baking soda and salt.  Gradually blend flour mixture into butter mixture.  Fold in chocolate chips and drop onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with a Silpat or that has been greased.  Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before placing on a wire rack.

Blueberry Cream Muffins

I {heart} blueberry muffins.  The whole wheat ones in the bakery at Whole Foods are my favorite, so if you have the recipe would you please share.  Pretty please.  The Best Ever Blueberry muffins I posted last year were my next favorite, they even won first place when I entered them in the county fair.  But, there may now be a tie because I loved these Blueberry Cream muffins too.  Make them both and then you decide.



Blueberry Cream Muffins

adapted from Barefoot In the Kitchen

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup sour cream

1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease 12 muffins cups or line with paper muffin liners. In a small bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking soda.

In a large bowl beat eggs, gradually add sugar while beating.  Continue beating while slowly pouring in oil.  Stir in vanilla.  Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternating with sour cream.  Gently fold in blueberries.  Scoop batter into muffin cups using an ice cream scoop.  Sprinkle with raw sugar and bake for 20 minutes.
Place on a wire rack to cool.  Enjoy!

Old Bay Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I love buying pumpkins from little roadside farm stands.  It makes me feel good to support our local farmer. You will never see me buy a Wal-mart pumpkin. Ever.

Biscuit wanted to carve the pumpkin with his teeth, but Madison and her boyfriend Ryan had other plans.

Oh, young love.

Ryan did have the great idea of roasting the pumpkin seeds with Old Bay Seasoning.
It may become a fall tradition, they were pretty tasty and lasted about 5 minutes.

Old Bay Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 T olive oil
Sea Salt
Old Bay Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Separate pumpkin pulp from seeds, rince and pat dry with paper towels.
Toss pumpkin seeds with olive oil and spread out on a cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with sea salt and desired amount of Old Bay Seasoning.  Bake for 25-30 min, tossing the seeds a couple times in between.  Enjoy!

Linking To:
Made By You Mondays
Weekend Wrap Up Party

Friday Night Lights & Cookies 'n Cream Oreo Brownies

This is what we do on Friday nights.

We watch our daughter Madison cheer on her high school football team.

Tonight is extra special because it's Homecoming.   Madison goes to the same high school that I went to, except she goes to the newer, much nicer version.  My class is having a reunion tailgate party so we can reminisce about the old days.  I may have to dig out my Swatch watch and Jessica McClintock Gunne Sax dresses - does anyone remember those???? This is what I am bringing to the tailgate:

Cookies 'n Cream Oreo Brownies - oh my are these thing yummy!  Of course I had to try one, I couldn't have my classmates eating crappy brownies.... if there is such a thing.  Here's what you need to make them.

Thought I would save a few calories by using the Weight Watchers Ice Cream - ha ha. Actually it was the only ice cream in my freezer right now. 

Cookies 'n Cream Oreo Brownies

from KevinandAmanda

1 Box of your favorite Brownie Mix or your own recipe

Egg and Oil called for in brownie recipe (do not add the water)

1 heaping 1/2 cup of Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream (6 oz container)

1/4 cup hot fudge topping (chilled or at room temp)

Preheat oven & spray an 8×8 baking dish generously with cooking spray. Combine brownie mix, eggs, and oil as directed on the back of the box, but do not add the water. Add ice cream and hot fudge to the brownie batter and stir to combine. Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking dish, layer with Oreos, then top with remaining batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes or as directed on the back of the box.

CSN Stores

CSN Stores has offered me an item to review and I'm taking it! 

They have over 200 online stores where you can find everything from stylish handbags, to cookware, to even a new twin bed set for the kids room.  I've ordered from them before and they have super fast shipping and great products.

I'm thinking this fantastic Le Creuset Stock Pot

 Wouldn't my favorite soup look great in this!

Or maybe this set to go with the 9 x 13 bake dish I got from them a couple months ago.

Or maybe these pretty bowls. Can you tell I have a thing for Le Creuset????

What would you choose?

Check out CSN Stores today :)

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Why buy expensive granola from the store, when you can make your own at home.  It makes your house smell fabulous while it is baking, you can add whatever nuts and fruit you prefer and it tastes delish!  I love granola on my yogurt, but sometimes I pour milk over it and eat it like cereal.  Most of the time I just eat it by the handful :)

I'm still in a pumpkin mood, so I decided to make Pumpkin Spice Granola.  It's like a crunchy version of a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, without the coffee.

Don't you just hate it when you are baking and you find that you don't have one of the spices needed for your recipe.  It seems to happen to me frequently, but tonight was just the opposite.

When I looked in my pantry for pumpkin pie spice, not only did I find what I needed, but I had 3 containers of the stuff.  It's not like I'm baking pumpkin pies every week, so I have no idea why I had that many, but now I know I 'm prepared for more pumpkin recipes ~ yay! 

Pumpkin Spice Granola

from annies-eats

3 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal ( I used  Organic Koala Crisp)

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup brown sugar (I used Sucanat)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

up to 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (I used sunflower seeds and almonds)

up to 1 cup dried fruit (I used Craisins)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine oats and puffed rice cereal.  In a medium bowl whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract.  Whisk until very smooth.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated.  Spread on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Then turn over the granola using a large, wide spatula.  Sprinkle the nuts onto the granola and bake for additional 15 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center may not be fully dried if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola and let the rest bake until done, 10-15 minutes more.  Cool on pan or on a fine wire rack.  Break up granola as desired and toss with dried fruit.  Store in an airtight container.

Linking To:
Made by You Mondays
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Tatertots and Jello
Sugar and Spice at 733 Blog