Trail Mix Cookies

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was one of my favorite books as a really little kiddo :). I have to admit, when my mom let me choose between the book with the cute little mouse and The Little Red Hen, I had a tough time deciding which one I wanted her to read to me at bedtime. Decisions, decisions!

To this day, I still remember how much I loved it when my mom would read to me. Not only was it a fun and relaxing experience, but it was more meaningful and memorable than watching a movie together. Next to that, I loved dancing with her; I'd stand on her feet and she'd lead.

I plan on doing all these things with my own children some day :). These moments instilled in me a deep love for reading and dancing - two of my favorite things to do, next to cooking and writing, of course :).

So I now own the cookie-eating mouse! He wears a Christmas hat year-around; he's definitely my kind of mouse. My mom actually gave him to me a few years back. He sits on a miniature vintage chair in my living room, next to all the other kitschy collectibles that help make my house a home :). I decided to feature him in the trail mix cookie 'photo session'. The Doughboy wasn't interested - he stuffed himself with so many of these cookies that he couldn't move! (But keep looking out for him, he'll be starring in one of my upcoming posts.)

Now that I've talked about one of my favorite early-childhood books, it's time to talk about my favorite cookie! I am a huge fan of Kashi's Happy Trail Mix Cookies, but I strongly believe that if you can make it healthier and cheaper at home, then make your own version of your favorite treat! So that's what I did. Of course, they don't taste exactly the same; I threw in a few interesting ingredients, like crushed cereal and coconut - but you probably know why. (Jose and I are in the process of clearing out our pantry and kitchen cupboards, so I used this baking adventure as an opportunity to get rid of quite a few random ingredients, like cereal and coconut.)

These cookies taste like trail mix and cereal bars, but they're much more portable....who doesn't love that? Check out the ingredients. Pretty healthy, huh? No butter or oil!

Giving Thanks and Lowfat Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

*there's some potty humor in this entry, so don't say I didn't warn ya!

One of the best things about my husband is that he never ceases to give thanks. Every Friday evening, after arriving home from the grocery store, we empty out our overflowing bags of produce onto the kitchen table and the hubby notes how fortunate we are. "We eat so healthy!" he says, " We're so blessed to be able to eat this way!". Then, after restocking the refrigerator with a good amount of yummy food, he stands back and examines it; holding the refrigerator door open he says "We are so lucky!". I can't deny that we are blessed, that's for sure. I am certainly blessed to be married to someone whose positive attitude keeps me going on a bad day.

Speaking of bad days, just last year I had to have my gallbladder removed. Even though the procedure itself wasn't that invasive, being severely sick before the gallbladder disease diagnosis was not fun. First off, on my own, I couldn't afford to have the surgery. I'd just graduated from college, got my first full-time job, but had to resign. I had too many doctor appointments lined-up and I wasn't getting more than 2 hours of sleep per night due to the pain. It took the doctors about 6 months to diagnose me because I didn't have the 'textbook' symptoms. I was taking acid-reducing proton pump inhibitors for 4 months, but I didn't have acid reflux even though the doctors thought I did. On top of that, I lost a lot of weight, which isn't good when you only weigh 107 pounds. So, I was actually relieved to discover that my gallbladder's ejection fraction rate was 17% when it should've been at least 80%; I was ready to say goodbye to Mr. Gallbladder, the green gooey monster. There wasn't nearly enough bile pumping into my intestines to help digest my food - that's what was causing the annoying gut pain!

Now I'm happy to be gallbladder-free...well, for the most part. Yes, I am definitely grateful that I didn't develop stones - that would've been even more dangerous. Yes, I am extremely happy that I can eat again. But there is a reason why we have a gallbladder, and I know that now more than ever before! The gallbladder holds all the bile that the liver produces; since I don't have a gallbladder, I have a constant trickle of bile flowing directly into my intestines (sometimes it feels more like a river). Also, the more fat one eats, the more bile the liver produces. And guess what else? Bile acts as a laxative! It is a strong acid-based digestive juice that'll get you going more than a bottle of prune juice will, especially if you eat the wrong foods; watch out for those abdominal cramps, too. It's not rare to experience funky digestive issues after having gallbladder surgery, it just isn't fun (Postcholecystecomy Syndrome is the technical name for it). Thankfully, I am taking a wonderful soluble fiber that acts as a bile sponge, it's a great alternative to Questran (a medication meant to lower cholesterol and minimize the amount of bile produced by the liver).



But living without a gallbladder still requires a few more dietary modifications. Some folks develop lactose intolerance after having their gallbladders removed, I recently discovered that I am one of them. I can handle small quantities of dairy products here and there, but, to avoid the tummy discomfort, I try to cook with soy/rice based products instead. I am also sensitive to certain fats and oils, which is why I never use hydrogenated oils. To be completely honest, sometimes I eat something I know will make me sick but I eat it anyway because it's just soooo delicious that denying myself that kind of yumminess would be considered a small crime! (That and I am incredibly stubborn.) Other times, I actually exhibit self-control and eat something considered 'safe', but I still end up taking the nonstop trip on the porcelain bus* the next day (*I stole that term from Anthony Bourdain, so don't credit me for it ;). This is why the gastro gave me the IBS label the last time I was in his office; irritable bowel syndrome - my gut is like an unruly spoiled brat that has relentless tantrums even though he knows Santa's watching.

Ok...so I'm sure you're wondering why this post is about being grateful. It sounds like I'm complaining, right? Well, no. I am super grateful, but I am also honest. I don't like pretending that everything is perfect and that the crazy blogger behind Flour Arrangements just spends her time cooking, blogging, and baking tasty treats all day. Like you, I have my bad days. Even though mine usually revolve around a toilet, we all deal with crap everyday; PUN INTENDED. So what am I grateful for? Well, aside from the loving husband and countless other things, I am eternally grateful for comfy toilet paper and the ability to get up and go to work in the morning. You know how I had to resign from that first full-time job when I was sick? Well, now I have an even better one. It's more fun and better paying - who could ask for anything more?!

Yummy vegetables and fruits wouldn't exist without stinky fertilizer, sometimes we have to get covered in crap in order to blossom into a more deliciously ripe version of ourselves. Lovely analogy, eh? I know my plight isn't nearly as bad as that of others, but, sometimes, when my stomach is in knots due to the missing organ, I just give thanks to God that I'm not missing anything else. Emotionally and physically speaking, I feel full; I'm pretty sure that's something worth being grateful for.

P.S. I should also note that I became even more obsessed with food after having my gallbladder removed. Going so long not being able to eat much taught me how to appreciate food even more than I did before...and that's what gave rise to the birth of Flour Arrangements and recipes like this lowfat lemon poppy seed muffin! It's still tasty and sweet, but it doesn't have nearly as much fat as traditional muffins do, making it a 'tummy-friendly' food. Instead of using a stick o' butter, I enhance the flavor of these muffins with aromatic spices.

The Perfect, Classic Buttermilk Pancake

Though I love baking, it wasn't until just last week that I realized buttermilk's significance; it really is an ingredient all bakers should have in their refrigerators at all times. The smell isn't exactly pleasant, but I can't imagine a tasty pancake recipe without it! I made a few batches of buttermilk biscuits last week (I still haven't "perfected" a healthy version of this typically butter-ridden, starchy morsel-this is why they aren't on the blog yet) and I loved the flavor and texture it gave the biscuits.

For a few months now, I've been making pancakes from scratch. I was happy with the recipe I came up with, but I knew there was something missing. I know many pancake recipes call for buttermilk, but I thought I could get away with not using it. To be honest, I was afraid that I'd buy a small container of it and have a lot left over, but that was before I realized that buttermilk really is a wonderful dairy product. Despite the stinky whiff I get in the mornings when I open up the small carton containing this curdled, yogurt-like substance, it really gets me jumping out of bed and running to the kitchen to prepare a batch of classic buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. Using buttermilk instead of regular milk gives the pancake a lighter, fluffier texture; if you choose to use milk instead, you'll find that the pancakes will be heavier. Personally, I'm a fan of the fluffy pancake, that's why I switched to buttermilk...and I will stop this dairy product advertisement now :).

I found this recipe on Key Ingredient, and though I don't know the name of the lovely gal who posted this recipe on her profile, I will give her credit by including it below...you need to try this recipe! In my opinion, pancakes are the perfect midnight snack...so you don't have to wait until breakfast to eat them!:

Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding)

What do you all think of this new application I'm using, is it helpful? Can you please let me know in a comment/message? Thanks! :)

I think the best family heirlooms are recipes. Unlike jewelry, they can comfort us with their warmth, conjure up loving memories with their scents, and leave us both emotionally and physically satisfied. Even though jewelry can be sized to fit the person receiving the heirloom, it still doesn't compare to inheriting a recipe that each generation can add to while still keeping the main ingredient, love. On that note, a few weekends ago I gave my grandmother a call to see how she was doing and ask her for a few cooking tips. I borrowed a tiny book from the library filled with just enough classic Mexican food recipes to experiment with. My intention was to use some of these recipes as guides while attempting to get my own grandmother's recipes right. She was very detailed about what ingredients to use, even how to cook each item I wanted to make, but as far as the measurements...well, it seems over the years her fingers have developed taste buds so that she doesn't actually have to measure the exact ingredients, they know that a pinch of this and dash of that will do just fine. My fingers aren't so clever. Though they can be trusted at times, they tend to be a bit more on the clumsy side whenever I'm trying to replicate something my grandmother has already perfected.

The first recipe I asked my grandma for was that of her Capirotada dish. Capirotada is a rich bread pudding with a kick. Its sweet base is balanced out with a hearty sprinkle of salty Cotija cheese. As a kid, I had a love/hate relationship with this cheese; its pungent smell is a lot stronger than most typical cheeses used in American dishes, but its taste is also a lot more flavorful and earthy. I only sprinkled a bit on top, just enough for its saltiness to counteract the sweetness of the piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar). Here are the rest of the ingredients I used, along with the cooking/baking instructions.

1/2 of a loaf of 2 day old Challah bread cut into bite-size pieces (This is a traditional Jewish bread, but I had quite a bit leftover from earlier in the week and I didn't want to waste. I think it worked really well with this dessert. Traditionally, day old Mexican bread is used; my grandmother uses a french roll.)
1 1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 piloncillo stick
2 TBSP butter
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 small fuji apple, chopped
1/8 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1/4 cup golden raisins

After slicing off the piloncillo (I can't think of the proper term for this job, but it was a tough one!) I put the shavings into a medium sized pot with the evaporated milk and butter. The two ingredients slowly simmered together as I mixed in the nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. I then added in the bread pieces and continued mixing the ingredients until the bread absorbed all the liquid, then I tossed in the apple pieces. I transfered the concoction to a square, 9 inch oven safe platter, then sprinkled the raisins and cheese on top. To give the pudding a bit more bite, I put it in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. I also sprinkled some nuts on top, after the baking process. The apples and nuts were not part of my grandma's recipe, she is a fan of golden raisins. I decided to add less raisins and include some apples because they always taste so good in baked goods!

thanksgiving muffins

I've been baking more than usual these days, probably because the evenings have been a lot cooler, in a wonderful sort of way...sometimes it's even cold, so I use baking as an excuse to warm my house without turning on the heater. I made these 'thanksgiving muffins' the other night and they came out super moist, I'm pretty sure it was the apple sauce that did it. Like I mentioned earlier, I don't really like using apple sauce when I bake cookies, because they come out too soft and fluffy, very un-cookie like, but I'm discovering it's a great ingredient in cake and muffin batter. I have had a problem with it once, when I made sweet potato bread awhile ago and added too much-the bread came out kind of soggy, not so pleasant and yummy...thankfully, I used just the right amount with these muffins :). Hope you all like them!

Thanksgiving Muffins
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tbsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 TBSP molasses

These took awhile to bake, about 25-28 minutes in a 350 degree oven, but they're worth the wait and they're definitely aromatic in an autumny kind of way :).

P.S.
If you're wondering what that stuff is on top, it's brown sugar...I always seem to find myself sprinkling powdered or brown sugar on my desserts, as if they're not sweet enough as it is ;).

blueberry oatmeal muffins

I really love baking with blueberries, but it seems whenever I get a blueberry muffin at just any bakery, they tend to taste a little artificial and overly sweet. There is a bakery here in Austin that has some of the best blueberry muffins I've ever had, though, it's called Russell's Bakery (their tag-line is "the best kept secret in Austin" and I think it's very appropriate). Russell's also has a few other great desserts, so if you're ever in the area, you'll definitely want to check this bakery out.

Anyhow, yesterday Jose was in the mood for some "munchies", but he didn't find anything appealing wandering through the grocery store aisles. I told him I'd make him some blueberry muffins, and he was happy with how they came out. He described them as light and mildly sweet; he also mentioned how he loved the way the blueberries popped in his mouth--I agree with his description. We purchased a store-brand bag of blueberries because Jose actually prefers these over the organic ones! Maybe it's because they're from Texas, so they're bigger and juicier than the other ones we've purchased before. If you're from Texas, then you're familiar with the HEB brand. As a former resident of California, I can easily claim that HEB is much better than most of the major grocery stores in CA, except for Trader Joe's :). The prices are very reasonable--that might just be because the store is located in Texas, and this state tends to be a lot cheaper than Cali... Anyway, I'll stop with the advertisements and post the blueberry oatmeal muffin recipe. Try this out, they are really delicious muffins...and I only used 2 1/2 TBSP Canola oil, so they're fairly healthy and low-fat...but you'd never know!

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins:
2 Cups flour
3/4 Cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp canola oil
1/2 cup nonfat milk
2 TBSP sour cream
2 eggs
3/4 TBSP honey
1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup blueberries

This recipe makes about 10 standard-sized blueberry muffins--they'll bake in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes, a little more or less depending on your oven/location.

harvest bread

This is fairly easy to make, and it bakes in about 45 minutes. This is the first bread I've made without using a recipe. I wanted to make something new, sweet, and carby so I looked around my kitchen for ingredients that would work well together in a bread. I'm happy with the results (and how it smelled up the apartment with a pleasant wintery/fall scent), Jose thinks there should be nuts, but I wasn't feeling very nutty yesterday--which is surprising considering how much I was cooking/baking :D. Anyway, this bread is very moist and falls apart if you try serving it right out of the oven without letting it cool for about 20 minutes...I was impatient, so that's how I found this out :). It's a good idea to store it in the fridge, both as a way of helping it cool and keep.

Harvest bread recipe:
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 TBSP sour cream
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP canola oil
2 TBSP apple butter
2/3 cups unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup raisins
1 medium fuji apple, chopped (about 1 1/4 cup)
2 eggs

I baked this in a bread pan for 45 minutes (in the pre-heated 350 degree oven). I also made sure to cover the pan with foil for the first 30 minutes, then let it bake uncovered for the last 15. While it was baking, I made a glaze which includes simmering the following ingredients together in a sauce pan for a few minutes (about 5):
1 TBSP butter
3 TBSP apple butter
3-4 TBSP apple juice
1 1/2 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP powdered sugar
After the bread cooled, I covered it with this glaze...then we ate it :).

spaghetti with (ground TURKEY!) meatballs in a homemade sauce and Italian bread on the side!

It looks like I only cook pasta, at least this blog would give visitors that impression! But I don't, it is one of my favorite things to make and dress-up, though. I was in the mood for some spaghetti and meatballs today, but I wanted to make a sauce that wouldn't feel like I was just eating, as Jose called it, a bunch of plain noodles lathered in tomato puree. I've gone to quite a few Italian spots, never really finding a place that serves a good and tasty spaghetti and meatball plate. It does seem that most of the sauces are overly-tomato tasting, and it doesn't seem like much thought actually goes into the sauce. I hate boring food, and this is definitely not a plain pasta dish. Pasta and french/garlic bread go perfect together, at least I think they do, so I decided to spice up a baguette I bought at the grocery store just yesterday, giving it a little bit more of a kick with a sauce that isn't just butter and garlic based. So here's the recipe and instructions on how to make this flavorful stuff:

As far as the meatballs go, they alone carry quite a bit of flavor and can definitely be used for meatball sandwiches if any are leftover. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I used ground turkey for the meatballs. My parents used to cook with it a lot when I was growing up, and it was actually my mom who taught me how to make these meatballs from ground turkey. It might sound a little odd if you've never tried it, but ground turkey actually has a much milder taste than beef, so it can showcase/hold the flavor of spices much better, in my opinion. It's also a lot leaner than beef, and you definitely won't have to worry about mad-cow disease if it's your meat of choice for this meatball recipe (by the way, this recipe makes enough servings for about 5 people):
1 pound ground turkey breast (or whatever ground meat you prefer)
1/4 cup chopped sweet white onion
1/2 cup garlic and herb bread crumbs
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 TBSP mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 egg
All these ingredients can be mixed together in a bowl, then rolled into little 1 inch balls before being placed in an all-purpose pan to lightly fry in some olive oil, I used 1/4 cup and that might sound like a lot, but it actually wasn't since the pan I used was a good size.

As the meatballs cooked for about 25 minutes over a low-medium flame, I got started on the sauce, this is what went into the sauce:
15 oz can of Muir Glen salt-free organic tomato sauce
3/4 tsp garlic and herb spice
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp sugar (to balance out the sourness of the plain tomato sauce)
3 whole bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground sage
1 3/4 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp vegetable broth powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
a pinch of nutmeg (everyone on food network does it, so I figured I should too :)
1/4 cup water (the sauce is kind of thick and will continue to thicken as it cooks)
1 cup portabella mushrooms
So I let this sauce simmer for about 10 minutes before adding it to the meatballs, which should now be browned on the outside. After I added the sauce to the meatballs, I let them simmer together while I cooked the pasta.

As far as the pasta goes, I just used a 12 oz bag of spaghetti. After I cooked it in the boiling water with a little bit of olive oil and garlic salt, I just added about 2 tsp of butter, a few shakes of Parmesan cheese, and a couple of olive oil sprinkles (as you can see, I definitely cook with a lot of this stuff :).

Now here's the Italian bread recipe, it's so fast and easy to make it could be served alone as a snack.
Preheat oven to 375
1/2 small baguette (horizontally halved--basically, it makes enough for 3 people)
1/8 cup melted butter
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
These ingredients can be mixed together in a cup, then drizzled with a teaspoon on the bread right before sprinkling it with about 1/2 cup of fresh spinach and 1/8-1/4 cup of a mozzarella/parmesan cheese blend. The baguette can then be placed in a 375 degree oven for 7-8 minutes. Afterward, you can garnish it with a few sliced roma tomatoes, and slice it into 3 medium-sized pieces, or about 4-5 small ones.

Funny thing about this spaghetti & meatballs plate is that I've actually made it before, but it came out so much better now that I actually measured the ingredients...even though it's my recipe. I don't get it haha! Happy cooking, next time I'll post something non-pasta related ;)!

Not-So-Buttery Nutty Chocolate Brownie Bread

This "bread" is as easy to make as chocolate brownies. To be honest, it was my initial intention to make brownies, but the consistency of the finished product was a little lighter, less dense; I came to the conclusion that it's probably because I used less butter than most brownie recipes call for. There are times I can fool tasters into thinking that certain desserts I make aren't lowfat, the texture is pretty deceiving, not this time, though. Still, not all who wander in the world of recipe-making are lost! No, this was definitely not a failure, far from it.

Jose was having kind of a busy/stressful day at work/school today, and being the chocolate addict that he is, I knew I had to make something chocolatey to cheer him up...this worked! Yes, getting to lick the bowl filled with the remains of a chocolate bread dough is definitely a mood booster, but I know the bread also helped, since he did ask for one more piece of this brownie bread not long after finishing the first. I had a piece myself, and the best way I can describe it is with these words: light, not too sweet, and definitely not overly greasy.

So here's the recipe, I baked it in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes (I used a 9 by 13 inch baking dish)

1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 whole eggs
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
3 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp cream cheese
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sweetened cocoa powder
1/3 of a 12 oz bag of chocolate chips
1 1/2 ounces walnut chips