Blueberry Coconut Pancakes

Whenever I ask my toddler what she wants to eat, 99% of the time she will say pancakes.  Pancakes are a special breakfast in our house that we like to do on the weekend.  I thought it would be nice to try a new recipe for a change so I went online and did some searching.  I found a couple of pancake recipes made with coconut milk and I am a huge fan of coconut milk.  Knowing that we still have a bunch of blueberries in our deep freezer to use up in the next couple of months, I decided this would be a great recipe to try.
The pancakes tasted wonderful and had just a hint of coconut.  If you really want a coconut flavour I would suggest adding some coconut flakes to the batter as well.  I like my pancakes with a lot of blueberries so adjust the amount of blueberries in the recipes to you liking.

Blueberry Coconut Pancakes

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2c tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 14 oz can coconut milk

1tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 cups blueberries

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Whisk the coconut milk together until it is smooth (I find it helps to heat it up a little bit). Then add the addition wet ingredients, whisking them until they are blended.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and mix enough to moisten all the dry ingredients.  
4. Lightly stir in the blueberries.
5. Heat a non-stick pan or griddle to medium heat and oil the surface as needed.  Pour enough batter on the surface to make the pancakes your desired size.  I will usually use 1/3 of a cup per pancake.
6. Allow the pancake to bubble and the edges begin to dry before flipping to cook the other side.

*I will often turn my oven on to the lowest setting so I can keep the first pancakes warm while I use up the batter. 

Cranberry Orange Chicken

Life has gotten very busy in the past few months and I am making use of my crockpot more than ever.  In the new year a couple of my friends had shared a link on Facebook to 20 Freezer Meals in 4 Hours from the Stock Piling Moms website.  I was intrigued so I decided to make a bunch of them for the freezer so on my really busy days, all I have to do is pull a bag out of the freezer the night before to let it defrost and then set it in the crockpot in the morning.
I love how well cranberry and orange go together and whenever I see bags of cranberries at the grocer, I will grab a couple for the freezer to use at a later date.  I really enjoyed this recipe for Cranberry Orange Chicken and I found it went well with rice.  It is a good one to make if you have leftover cranberry sauce to use up.

Cranberry Orange Chicken

3 chicken breasts
1 cup of orange juice
1 cup of cranberry sauce
2 cups of water

1. Place the chicken, orange juice and cranberry sauce in the crockpot and then add the water. 
2.  You can set your crockpot to low and cook for 6-8 hours or set it to high and cook for 2-4 hours.

If you want to make a couple to have on hand in the freezer, put the chicken, orange juice and cranberry sauce into a freezer bag. Be sure to write the instructions on the bag to add 2 cups of water along with the cooking temperature and time.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake

I think mug cakes are brilliant for many reason but since my little is very observant and wants to eat whatever Mommy is eating I have fallen in love with them even more!  We are trying to teach our little ones good eating habits by setting a good example and so we are trying to avoid having sweets that are easily accessible.  Mug cakes are a good solution for when I need a sweet treat after the little ones are in bed.  They are quick to make and are just one serving so there is no evidence in the kitchen for them to find the next day.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake

3 tbsp flour

2 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

pinch of salt

3 tbsp milk

1 1/2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp peanut butter

1. In a large mug whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined.
3. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 10 seconds and enjoy!

Curried Cream Cheese Spread

My in-laws are often away for the holidays so we will often celebrate Christmas with them before they leave.  This year my mother-in-law made a wonderful spread that we couldn't seem to get enough of. I asked her for the recipe and made it for our annual Wine and Cheese potluck and everyone seemed to enjoy it as well.  It is a very simple recipe she got from a friend of hers but I am sure it will be come one of my go to appetizers.
The amounts for the spices are just a guide, you can add more or less depending on your personal tastes.  Just remember if you make it ahead of time that the flavour will develop with time.  This dish can be served cold or at room temperature with crackers or what ever you like.

Curried Cream Cheese Spread

250 grams soft cream cheese

1 tbsp mango chutney

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

red pepper jelly

dried red currents or craisins

toasted pine nuts

1. Combine the cream cheese, chutney and spices. Cream together with a spoon or a fork until thoroughly mixed.  Put this mixture into the dish you plan on serving it in.
2. Top the cream cheese mixture with a layer of red pepper jelly.
3. Mix together enough of the pine nuts and dried fruit to cover the top of the spread.  Add to the top of the spread.

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am very guilty of having a sweet tooth and not the greatest self control.  So last night when I saw some Craisins in the drawer and thought of a great Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie my aunt would make it didn't take long for me to decide I should make a batch to enjoy.

This cookie is just a little bit more grown up than your standard chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I really enjoy the hint of cinnamon.  They freeze well so if you have room in your freezer why not make a double batch?

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup flour

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup dark chocolate chips or carob 

1. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
3. Stir in the flour mixture small parts at a time. Then add the rolled oats.
4. Add the cranberries and chocolate chips
5. Place tablespoon size drops of the dough on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

As I mom, I know how nice it is to have boxed meals on hand that are easy to make but I also know how much I care about the food I let my little one eat.  I was very happy when I came across this recipe for home made stove top mac and cheese.  It honestly doesn't take too much longer than making a box of the blue stuff and I know how to pronounce everything that goes into it.
I will often put in some frozen vegetables in with the pasta.  You can also get creative with the different types of cheeses you use.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups pasta, any shape

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tbsp flour

2 cups grated cheese

1/4 tsp mustard or onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the pasta to your desired tenderness and drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 cup of milk over medium heat.  Whisk together the rest of the milk with the flour and mustard/onion powder.  As the milk starts to steam stir in the milk mixture and allow it to thicken.
3. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese.
4. When the sauce and pasta are ready combine them in one pot.  Stir to make sure the sauce coats the pasta before serving it. 

Pumpkin Ravioli Filling

I really enjoy learning how to make favourite recipes from family and friends who have made them for years.  I find this way you can learn so much more than just following a recipe from a cook book and you will always get to keep the memory as well.  Not too long ago we had a very good friend staying with us and I asked him if he would mind showing us how to make ravioli.  We have made it in the past and done an alright job but I thought we might get a few tips from someone who has been making it all his life.  

This is the recipe we used for the stuffing and it is so delicious.  All we served the pasta with was some toasted walnuts, melted butter and some fresh parmesan cheese.

Pumpkin Ravioli 

Filling

1 small sugar pumpkin (about 2 lbs in the shell)

1 1/2 cups crushed amaretti biscuits

2 eggs

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

plain bread crumbs, as needed

Pasta

1 egg, beaten

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp water

1. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and slice it into quarters.  Place the quarters in a covered casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes at 375.  
2. Once the pumpkin has cooled remove the skin and puree the flesh.
3. Combine the pumpkin puree, amaretti biscuits, eggs, parmesan and nutmeg.  Season with salt an pepper.  If the mixture is too wet, add some bread crumbs (the mixture should be about the not much moister than cookie dough).
4. In a medium sized bowl combine the flour and salt.  Make a well in the flour and add the egg.  Mix the dough with your hands and add water as needed but you should form a stiff dough.
5. Kneed the dough on a floured surface for 3-4 minutes before rolling the dough.
6. Using a pasta machine, roll the pasta into sheets.  Start by using the thickest setting and progress to the thinner settings.
7. Place  a tablespoon full of the filling about every 2 1/2 inches in rows 2 inches apart on the pasta sheets.  Cover with another sheet of pasta and press down gently between the filling.
8. Use a pastry wheel to cut the pasta into rectangles with the filling in the centres.  Place the ravioli on a lightly floured surface and allow to dry for at least 30 minutes (make sure to turn them so they dry on both sides).
9. Bring a large pan of water to boil and drop the ravioli in the boiling water, stirring them to prevent them from sticking together.  It should take 4-5 minutes for them to be ready.