Apple Oat Drops

Currently these are one of my son's favorites. As with my carrot drops I scoop out all of the dough and then freeze the uncooked dough. When it is frozen I put all the uncooked cookies in a freezer container. I then take them out and bake as needed. 

They also work great if you cook them and then freeze them just pull them out and let them defrost in the fridge.

Apple Oat Drops

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup rapadura sugar or brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp baking soda

1 egg

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/3 cup all purpose Flour

1/3 cup whole wheat Flour

1 ¼ cup rolled oats 

Optional Additions

½ cup dried fruit
½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl using either a stand or hand mixer. Beat in the egg and applesauce until well blended. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Then slowly mix flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended. Stir in the oats and any additions you like. Place tablespoon size scoops on a baking stone and bake at 375° for 10-12 min. Cool on a wire rack, serve slightly warm, store in an airtight container for 3-5 days, or freeze for later use.

Grilled Sandwiches

When I make these I usually include whatever veggies I have in the garden. This goes well with a side of homemade sweet potato fries or chips.


Grilled Sandwiches

8 slices French Bread

4-8 Cheese slices

sliced fresh veggies such as Pepper, squash, zucchini, broccoli, onion, eggplant, tomato

¼ cup Mayonnaise

1 teaspoon basil

1 clove garlic crushed

You can either grill the veggies before putting them on the sandwich, or sauté the veggies, except tomatoes, in a small amount of olive oil till soft. While veggies are cooking mix mayonnaise, basil, and garlic and set aside. Spread mayonnaise on outside of the bread slices.

Layer veggies and cheese on the bread slices. Cook on grill for about 5 min flipping once until the outside of the sandwich is crisp on both sides and the cheese is melted.

Spinach Casserole

This is one of my husbands favorite dishes. You can reduce the butter from 4 tbs to 3 tbs for a less fattening version. I cook this dish in two 16oz dishes but you can use one larger dish if you choose.

Spinach Casserole

1lb fresh Spinach

4 tbs plus 1 tbs butter

1 cup crated Cheese

2 beaten Eggs

½ cup Milk

½ cup Bread Crumbs finely chopped

Cook spinach in a saucepan over medium heat till most of the water is cooked out. The spinach will greatly reduce while cooking. Take the spinach off the heat then add 4 tbs butter to the spinach and mix till melted. Then add cheese, eggs, and milk. Pour the spinach mixture into two 16 oz casserole dishes. Mix bread crumbs and 1tbs melted butter. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over spinach mixture evenly covering the top. Cook at 350° for 30-35 min or until firmly set.

Veggie Drops

My kids love these as a snack. Sometimes I add a small amount of cream cheese frosting for an extra treat. When making these often I scoop out all the dough and then freeze the uncooked dough. When it is frozen I put all the uncooked cookies in a freezer container. I then take them out and bake as needed. They can also be cooked and then frozen just let them defrost in the fridge when you are ready.

Veggie Drops

½ cup butter
¾ cup rapadura sugar or granulated cane sugar
1 egg
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
1 ⅓ cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 cups grated veggies*

Optional Additions

½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup chocolate chips

 

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with a stand or hand mixer. Beat in the egg and applesauce until well blended. Mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Alternatively mix butter mixture and carrots into the flour mixture. Beat until well mixed. Scoop tablespoon size drops onto a baking stone or sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 12-15 min until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack, serve slightly warm, store in an airtight container for 3-5 days, or freeze for later use.

*Some good veggies to try

Carrots

Parsnips

Summer Squash

Rutabaga

Zucchini

Cheese Pizza

We love pizza around here. As my son says our favorite pizza has "red sauce and cheese on top." What he does not know is there are a few things I slip into the pizza besides sauce and cheese.

Cheese Pizza

1 cup grated Mozzarella Cheese

1 cup grated Chedder Cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmasean Cheese

1 cup Veggies of your choice (some of our favorites include spinach, carrots, zucchini, eggplant, squash, broccoli)

Pizza Sauce

Pizza Crust

Roll out pizza crust to fit pizza stone. Brush the entire crust with a small amount of olive oil. Chop veggies into tiny pieces. Defrost pizza sauce and mix with veggies. Spread sauce mixture evenly over crust. Layer cheeses over pizza, our favorite is to start with mozzarella and the chedder, ending with parmesean on top. Bake at 350° for 25 min.

Mac and Cheese

Almost every kid loves Mac and Cheese. Around here I make and freeze ours in batches so we have it when we need it. We have been known to eat boxed mac and cheese at times...only the organic ones of course but this is much healthier especially if you add some veggie puree and some chopped veggies to it. By changing up the ingredients you can create something rich and almost sinful or a delicious healthy meal.

Mac and Cheese

4 cups Pasta (whatever small pasta I have on hand)

3 tbs Butter

3 tbs Flour

1 cup Milk

1 cup Cream*

3 cups Cheese grated any combination of cheeses ex: Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, Colby, Parmesan...

¼ cup Cream Cheese*

1-2 cups Chopped Veggies ex: Broccoli, Carrots, Squash...

2-4 tsp dried spices ex: parsley, garlic, thyme, sage, nutmeg...

Boil water and cook pasta. If you like your veggies softer you can steam them for about 5 min or mix them in raw for a added crunch. While pasta is cooking make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and spices and whisk with the butter. Cook the butter and flour for 1 min stirring constantly. Add the milk and/or cream and whisk until the flour and butter is well blended. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Mix the cheese and/or the cream cheese in the sauce and stir until melted. Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce and the veggies. Pour into two 6 cup casserole dishes. Bake at 350° for 30 min.

Or cover and freeze to bake later. If frozen bake 400° for 50 min

*Any combination of cream to milk can be used. Just be sure to have 2 cups. I have used just Milk or 1/4 cup Cream and 1 3/4 cup milk. Try different combinations depending on your tastes.
The cream cheese can also be left out if desired.

Sometimes I like to add bread cubes to the top of the mac and cheese. To do this mix small bread cubes with 1 tbs melted butter, add to top of the pasta before baking.


I also like to add different pureed veggies to the sauce. I mix in the puree when I am adding the cheese. Some of my favorite puree to use are butternut or acorn squash, carrot, and sweet potato. Start with about 1 cup of puree taste and add more if desired.

Stir Fry Veggies and Rice

I usually make this with prepackaged organic frozen stir fry veggies but you can use any fresh or frozen veggies you enjoy. Use any rice you like white or brown. We have started using a mixture here about half white and half brown. I plan to increase the ration of brown to white over time as we get use to it.

Stir Fry Rice and Veggies

¾ cup white Rice

1 tbs butter

1 ½ Water

1 tbs olive oil

1 cup Frozen stir fry veggies

2 Eggs

Stir Fry Sauce

2 tbs Soy sauce

2 tbs Honey

2 ½ tbs Orange Juice

2 tsp Cornstarch

2 tbs Vinegar

Bring water and butter to a boil. Add rice stir, cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 min.
Mix all sauce ingredients together, whisk and set aside. Whisk eggs together in a separate bowl.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Cook frozen veggies in oil for 3 min or until tender. Push the veggies to one side of the pan. Pour the eggs into the empty side of the pan. Allow the eggs to start to cook, before they are completely solid break up the eggs and mix in the veggies. Finish cooking eggs and veggies about 1 more min. Whisk sauce and add to veggies and eggs. Stir everything together until suace thickens slightly. Remove from heat and serve with rice.