Dark Chocolate-dipped Fruit for Valentine's Day

Chocolate-covered strawberries are a staple for Valentine's day, but these are some of the most simple ones you can make. Instead of the normal look, we decided to cut our fruit into hearts for little bite-sized treats. Aren't they so cute! I bet you can think of someone who would absolutely love these!

Ingredients
1 C dark chocolate chips
2 tsp coconut oil
Assorted fruit (We used strawberries, kiwi, bananas, and apples. And a few almonds)
Almonds, crushed (optional)
1 tsp Peanut (optional) mixed in with the chocolate. Will make it less smooth.

Directions
1. Cut fruit into heart shapes, if desired, or slice thin. (For the apples, we just left them in slices.)

banana cut into hearts--take off the sides until it makes a point, then take a triangle out of the top

2. Place fruit on parchment paper into the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, until chilled throughout.
3. Prepare another cookie sheet with parchment paper for finished chocolates.
4. Melt chocolate chips gradually, being careful not to overheat.
5. Mix in coconut oil. This makes it a little smoother and more like dipping chocolate.
6. Dip in fruit, covering entirely. Let the excess chocolate drip off. If desired, roll the fruit in the crushed almonds. Place fruit on the prepared cookie sheet. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Healthy Valentine Dessert Pizzas - With Whole Grain Sugar Cookie Recipe (gluten free)

We have a special treat for you today with this month's Recipe Redux! Not only are we so excited to see all the recipes that the other bloggers have come up with this week--As the theme is Pizza. It's one of our favorite foods!--but we are so excited to share these Dessert Pizzas with you! We came up with an awesome totally whole grain sugar cookie that not only looks perfect but also tastes amazing!

As with many of our recipes, these sugar cookies aren't as sugary as your general sugar cookie. We like that. But even still, if you were to frost these, I don't think the general public would think much was different. And as our Dessert Pizzas, they are plenty sweet enough.

We also decided to make them individual sized, because one of my pet peeves with dessert pizza is trying to pick up a piece of it and having to pull it off the pan or try to pull it away from the other pieces. Besides, they're cuter this way! We also used Greek yogurt for the "sauce," which makes it healthier than the usual dessert pizza.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Sugar cookies

1 C honey

2/3 C coconut oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 C oat flour

2 C brown rice flour

1 C quinoa flour

1 tsp baking soda

Fruit Pizza Topping

2 C plain Greek yogurt

1/4 C honey

1 T vanilla

Fruit

Directions

1. Cream together honey and coconut oil Add eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.

2. Mix in dry ingredients, adding the flour in small amounts until you reach the right consistency.

3. Place dough in the refrigerator until chilled, about 1 hour.

4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies into 3-inch hearts.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool.

 Aren't they great! Can you believe they are 100% whole grain?

6. Mix together yogurt, honey, and vanilla in a small bowl. When you are getting ready to serve, spread the yogurt mixture on the cookies and top with fruit.

Makes 24 cookies.

Note: We grind our own flours, as there are more nutrients in flour when it is freshly ground, although whole grain flour is better for you in any form than white flour! Many stores are carrying ground whole grain flour now. The oat flour can be made by grinding old-fashioned oats in your blender or grinder. The brown rice and quinoa can be ground in a grinder as well. Quinoa often has a bitter powdery covering when it comes in the store (and will probably still have a little bit even if it says it is prewashed). If you are grinding your own quinoa for flour, rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer. Then put it on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes to dry it out and to toast it.. The quinoa will start to turn golden brown, which will give the quinoa flour a nuttier, milder taste.

If you like this recipe, here are some of our other Valentine's Day treat ideas!

Dark Chocolate Cashew Truffles
Strawberry Banana Cream Smoothie
Strawberry Vanilla Valentine Pudding
Whole Grain Heart Pancakes with Honey Buttermilk Syrup
Whole Grain Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

An InLinkz Link-up

Almond Chia Pudding

Have you been having fun with chia it is a lot of fun adding it to different foods. Here is some more information about chia. 

Today I had fun making it into pudding today. I had never done that before. It has a texture similar to tapioca pudding. You could add cocoa to make it chocolate pudding too.

Ingredients:
1/2 C Chia
2 C Milk (I used almond coconut milk)
1 T vanilla or 1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon * optional
1 T unsweetened cocoa * optional
Garnish with fruit and drizzle on more milk. Drizzle on honey if you want it sweet.

Directions:

1. Stir all the ingredients together. It will start to gel in about 10 to 15 min. I put it in the fridge to chill it before eating it. You can eat it either way.

Quick and easy snack loaded with nutrition.

Whole Grain Fruit Bars

 We  had a wonderful time going to California. That is where I was raised, so a part of me is still there.We also have our son and his wife who recently moved there, and two siblings living there, so it feels good to visit. We have had a mild winter, but, getting off the plane and feeling the sun shine down on us was amazing. :) I love the sunshine. (I feel like a cat sometimes enjoying the sunshine coming through the windows.) It fills me up and energizes me.  I also love the water that is in San Diego. The family time was the best part. That is what life is all about.   It was a very nice visit. 

I made these bars and we enjoyed them. They have a nice mixture of grains in them. They could be used for breakfast or a snack. Hope you enjoy them. Have a wonderful Day!    



Ingredients:
For the crust and topping

2 1/2 C whole Grain flour  *(spelt, kamut, quinoa, brown rice and amaranth) 
3/4  C honey or 1 C sugar
2 1/4 C oatmeal (Old fashioned style)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1  1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 C coconut oil 


For the Fruit Filling
1/4 C honey or 1/3 C brown sugar
1 T lemon zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 T whole grain flour or 1/2 T ultra gel
1 1/2 C berries of your choice I used boysenberries
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 C water
2 T butter 


Parchment paper




Directions: 

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease a 13x9 " pan  and line with parchment paper that extends up the sides of the pan.  (For easy removal after it bakes.) 


2. In a medium size bowl pour in all the ingredients. With a pastry blender or a fork and knife cut in the honey and oil until it is all crumbly. Reserve 2 C of the mixture for the topping. Press the remaining ingredients into the pan lined with parchment paper. Make sure it touches all the way to the sides. ( I love the way stoneware cooks whole grains.) Bake until lightly golden about 15 min or a little less.       
  
3. Place on cooling rack to cool. While it is baking Pour all the ingredients for the filling into a medium saucepan and cook till it thickens. Should take about 5 to 10 min. Then pour on to the crust. 

4. Crumble remaining flour mixture on top of the filling . Bake another 30 min. Approx or till lightly golden.   

5. Cool and  serve! 

* Flour mixture approx. 1 C spelt, 1 C kamut, 1/2 C quinoa, 1/2 C brown rice, 1/2 C amaranth. I had left overs.   

 

German Whole Grain Pancakes

I had a couple of my daughters come home for the night. I thought it would be fun to make them breakfast before they left in the morning. So I came up with this healthy version of German pancakes. It was fun because one of my daughters that was visiting used to make them when she lived at home. It was a quick easy breakfast. Tasty too. I had a few left over, so I cut them up and put them away in the fridge. They made a nice snack for later.

Ingredients:
1/4 C butter
9 eggs
1 1/2 C whole grain flour or some white flour
1 1/2 C milk or kefir
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
Buttermilk syrup
Fruit toppings

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400

2. Put butter in 9x13 glass pan. While oven is preheating put pan in the oven. For butter to melt.
Don't let the butter burn.

3. In your blender pour in the eggs, flour, milk, cinnamon and salt. Blend about 2 min.

4. Take the pan out of the oven, and pour the batter over the melted butter. Bake 20 to 25 min.

5. Serve with the fruit, and honey almond buttermilk syrup. Yum!

Berries Yogurt and Granola Dessert

How about having a fruit yogurt, and granola for dessert. It tastes so good. I just had mine for lunch. =) Everyone could make their own, to their own liking. It could make a fun breakfast or brunch. I love the satisfying feeling after eating it.

Ingredients:
raspberries
blueberries
blackberries
strawberries
kiwi (They didn't have them at the store I went to. )
bananas
granola
plain yogurt (I used Dannon)
Whip cream for top

Directions:

1. I put the strawberries on the bottom, then layered it with yogurt and different berries. I did a layer of whip cream on top. Then I poured on the granola and the blueberries on top. There are lots of variations. It is a nice light dessert that looks great, and tastes even better. Yum!

* The granola and small dab of whip cream added the sweetness. =)
Happy Valentines! It is my daughter's Birthday today! We get to celebrate tonight! ;)

Swedish Pancakes or Crepes

This is a family tradition to make these for Christmas morning. We end up having them other times of the year as well. Today being one of them. I have done all whole grains or half white and half wheat or mixed grains. Today my son made them, and he made them all white. That is usually against the rules. When they make cookies and other baked goods. My rule is usually 1/2 and 1/2 but I let him bend the rule this time. This was his first time making them, and he did great. All on his own. He is becoming quite the chef. They can be frozen in zip locks (I would separate them with waxed paper or something along that line.) and eaten later. It is fun to have foods that have memories connected with them. This tradition was started by my in-laws and we are continuing it. What are your fun holiday traditions? I would love to hear about them. =)

Ingredients: (Should make at least 20 or more)

5 eggs
1 qt or 4 C milk
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 C flour (You could do 1/2 whole grain)

Toppings we like you can pick your favorite:
Blueberries
Strawberries (cut up)
bananas (cut up)
powdered sugar
peaches (cut up)
and....


Directions:

1. Beat the eggs and milk together and then beat in the dry ingredients. It will be a runny mixture. You don't want it thick like pancakes.

2. Then heat up an 8" skillet. Grease with non stick spray or a little oil. Pour in about 1/4 C of batter after the pan is completely heated. Let it cook on one side until starts to bubble then flip over. My husband and father in law can flip it without a spatula. I haven't gotten that good. My husband is the master chef. Sometimes the first one doesn't work. You could do multiple pans at a time. Then you get more done at the same time. :) For the hungry crowd.

Hope you enjoy. It has created a lot of fun memories for us. =)

Cherry Muffins

I love cherries! These taste a lot like bluebeery muffins. They were great. I liked how they were nice and tender.



1/2 cup coconut oil or butter
1/3 Coconut sugar or 1/2 sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups spelt flour or wheat (5C Spelt 2 Kamut 1 Brown Rice 1 C Buckwheat) extra afterwards
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coconut milk or milk
1 1/2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and chopped, or 1 (12-ounce) package frozen cherries, defrosted and chopped (I pulsed them in the blender)

1. Grease muffin cups Preheat oven to 350

2. Beat together oil and sugar till light. Then beat in vanilla then add egg.

3. Mix together in bowl dry ingredients spelt flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into oil mixture. Then stir in milk.

4. Fold in cherries. Scoop batter into muffin cups.

5. Bake 10 to 15 min in oven

Oatmeal tropical fruit cookies

I got excited about cooking with a tropical fruit mix that I found. So I tried them in theses cookies. They turned out nice. The fruit mixture was a nice change. :) These would be nice for breakfast.

1 C coconut oil or oil of your choice or butter
1 C coconut sugar or sugar
3/4 C honey
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
4 C mixed grain flour (spelt, kamut, brown rice, quinoa, oats left over from last recipe)
3 1/2 C Oats
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 T heaping Cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 C tropical dried fruit mix

1. Cream together oil, sugar add eggs one at a time. Then add extract. Set aside.

2. Mix the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and oats together in a separate bowl.

3. Combine the the mixtures together. Then stir in the fruit.

4. Bake at 375 8 to 10 min. Be careful to watch that they don't get over done.

* Add another egg if too dry or a little more honey.

Yummy Cherry Summer Salad

I love cherries! This was another great way to use them. I think often when we have fruit salads, we think they need a topping. I loved just eating with no topping. It was so good! I think cherries get overlooked for fruit salad. I loved the color of the kiwi.


2 C. Cherries (cut in half)
4 Kiwi chopped in small pieces
4 clementines divided into small pieces
2 gala apples chopped in small pieces
2 nectarines chopped in small pieces
1 C grapes

Toss all the fruit together and enjoy! It was a refreshing salad and healthy!