Caprese Egg Puff

September 27, 2014 ~ Emily ~ Leave a comment

Caprese Egg Puff

I consider myself some sort of green-black thumb hybrid. I excel at dealing with the dead things (weeding is therapeutic), but the growing/keeping alive part is intimidating. So, I count my gardening efforts this Summer to be a major success.

What do those gardening efforts look like, you ask? Resuscitating a vine whose bloom I was positive had faded, fighting the heat to keep two tomato plants alive, and nurturing a basil plant from infancy to flourishing adulthood.

Basil

The latter was my shining gardening accomplishment. Mostly because my mom was the one who actually discovered the vine wasn’t dead and there’s a distinct difference between alive and thriving when it comes to my tomatoes. But the basil plant, in it’s hot pink, dollar store beach bucket has gone from baby to burgeoning over the past three months and I am oh, so proud.

What makes the basil success even sweeter (herbier?) is that we’ve used it! Tiny slices made their way into cheesey eggs and crockpot marinara. Handfuls went into a delicious pesto we ate on homemade pizza.

My endless supply of basil prompted this new take on Chile Egg Puff. It’s cheesy, eggy foundation is the perfect base for endless variations. This particular version plays on the classic Italian caprese salad of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.

I nixed the chiles from the original, adding diced fresh tomatoes and tons of julienned basil in their stead. Out went the cheddar and in came the mozzarella.

Caprese Egg Puff

It may be sacrilege to the memories tied to the original Chile Egg Puff, but I might like this version better. Maybe that’s the basil pride talking… Either version has the same appeal – a protein packed, cheese riddled egg soufflé perfect for any meal of the day. Both egg puffs have been great to have around during No Sugar September.

A note about the tomatoes: I’m fairly particular about removing all tomato boogers before dicing. Cut tomatoes into quarters and run your thumb around the inside to loosen the snotty seeds. Discard and proceed with dicing your now booger free tomatoes.

To chiffonade basil: Stack basil leaves together. Roll into a little basil log. Place your basil log on a cutting board and hold in place. Slice through the basil log as thinly as possible. Separate all the tiny basil ribbons you’ve just created and resist the urge to throw into the air like they were dollar bills.

Caprese Egg Puff

Author: Emily C. Gardner

The flavors of a garden fresh caprese salad puts an Italian spin on this delicious and hearty egg soufflé.

Ingredients

10 eggs
1/2 cup flour (whole wheat works great)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups (16 oz) cottage cheese
4 cups (1lb) mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1/4 – 1/2 cup basil, chopped (I used 1/2 cup, but I love basil…)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan, set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs until light and lemon colored. Add flour, salat, baking powder, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and butter. Mix thoroughly. Fold in tomatoes and basil.
Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until top is golden and center appears firm.
Serve immediately. (Negotiable. I like it at every temperature. But, it’s the most soufflé like straight from the oven.)

the intimacy of reading

September 25, 2014 ~ Emily ~ Leave a comment

The intimacy of reading

I can see the warm light of our living room lamp casting a halo like glow over a basket of books. I can see the low white bookshelf in my Gramma’s spare room, filled with Angelina Ballerina and other mouse books. I can see the bright yellow cover of my One Year Bible that my mom read out of every night before bed.

Some of my earliest memories are tied to reading and books.Those memories are indicative of a lifelong love of literature. I desire to instill a similar love in James and any future children. We make reading to him a priority, a priority that is easy to keep.

I love the intimacy of reading with James, snuggling as close as his squirmy little body will allow. I treasure the proximity we share as I turn the pages and he grabs and pulls, more intent on eating than absorbing content.

I love watching him engage with the pages, grasping and patting. Sometimes he just stares at the colors, other times he helps me turn the page, eager to discover what’s next. I love watching him learn and grow. When we first started reading together, he was an infant – just a lump of baby flesh in my arms, barely able to stay awake for my recitation of Barnyard Dance.

As he matures, he is more attentive, more aware. He focuses and anticipates the discovery of something new on the next page. Sometimes I point things out to him – the pretty flower, the funny face. Other times I let him discover on his own, waiting patiently for him to find bumble bee or lift the flap to see what’s underneath.

He wiggles and wrestles. He sits and snuggles. He may last through the whole book or he may start crying before we reach the second page. Even if he doesn’t notice the words or understand the plot, even if he gets distracted or upset, I am always thankful for the time we spend together with a book in front of us.

I wonder if God experiences our time in the Word like I experience reading with James?

I think He cherishes the intimacy developed as we crack open the Bible, lean into Scripture, and rest in His truths.

I think God loves watching us engage with the pages of Scripture, eager to discover what’s next. He is pleased to see us learning and growing.

In our infancy, we are a lump in His Father arms, being bottle fed the words. As we mature as Christ-followers, we become more attentive, more aware.

Sometimes He points things out to us. Sometimes He lets us work things out on our own, waiting patiently for us to discover truth and wisdom.

Sometimes we wriggle and wrestle with discomfort as we read. Other times we sit in silence. We may gobble up chapters or chew on a verse. Sometimes we just sit in God’s lap and cry without having read one word.

Even if we get distracted or upset, God still cherishes the time we spend with Him, His Word in front of us.

Carrot Cake Oat Bars

September 22, 2014 ~ Emily ~ Leave a comment

Carrot Cake Oat Bars

I like to cook (a lot), but I love to bake. It’s true that I have an affinity for carbs in all forms, being able to whip up breads, cookies, and such is not the only reason I prefer baking. My perfectionist leanings thrive within the confines of a recipe. Where cooking is Picasso, baking is paint-by-numbers.

I like paint-by-numbers. Which is why I rarely deviate from a recipe. But some recipes just cry out to be adapted and made multiple different ways. I felt that way with homemade Clif Bars. Even though I only posted the Cinnamon Golden Raisin variety, I never made them the same way twice. There was a Chocolate Chip Coconut and a Trail Mix version, too.

These Oat Bars are the same way. I found the recipe on Pinterest, made it as per the recipe once, and then kept thinking of different flavor ideas.

The bones of these oat bars are a nutrient rich combination of rolled oats, whole wheat flour, and milk (of any sort). The need for butter in the original is eliminated by using unsweetened applesauce. They are sweetened with honey, making them perfect for No Sugar September and why I even found the recipe in the first place.

Carrot Cake Oat Bars So, the Carrot Cake version? I had a ton of leftover carrot puree from stockpiling James’ baby food and wondered if it would be an acceptable substitute for the unsweetened applesauce in the oat bars. The idea snowballed from there…

Sidenote: Carrot puree is super easy to make (peel, chop, and boil two large carrots and then blend in a food processor), but I’d imagine canned pumpkin would be a great substitute in this recipe.

My mind immediately went to carrot cake (because I’ve been sugar deprived, perhaps?) and I played off the flavors and mix-ins that are traditionally found in carrot cake – cinnamon, nuts, and raisins. Now that I think of it, crushed pineapple would be a tasty addition, too, but that’s getting into Hummingbird territory and we can’t mix cakes now can we.

Walnut Grinder

Oat Mixture

Carrot Mixture

The end result of all this carrot oatiness is a dense, filling bar that is perfect to pack in a lunch, tuck in a carry on, or nibble on throughout the day. I’ve enjoyed mine with a slice of cheese or scoop of apple butter and a glass of milk. Tim takes them to work for an afternoon snack. They’d be amazing for a newly nursing mom who is in that eat everything, always hungry stage.

Carrot Cake Oat Bars

If you were wanting to make these a little desserty and still keep them refined sugar free, blend cream cheese and maple syrup together to spread on top and cut into squares.

And because I kept thinking of ways to adapt the original, I’ve got a Chocolate Peanut Butter version coming atcha soon. In the meantime, enjoy some Carrot Cake!

Carrot Cake Oat Bars

Author: Emily C. Gardner

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 8 bars

A nutrient rich, filling snack bar with no refined sugar. Enjoy them plain, with apple butter, cheese, or a little cream cheese/maple syrup frosting.

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups milk (any variety)
1/2 cup carrot puree
3 tablespoons honey
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly coat an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together oats, WW flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking powder, salt, walnuts, and raisins. (Be sure to separate the raisins to avoid gross raisin clumps in your bars.)
In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk milk, carrot puree, honey, egg, and vanilla until the honey is melted and all the ingredients are combined. It will be a lovely shade of peach!
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Put batter in prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and cut into bars.

Notes

Any variety of milk or milk substitute will work. [br]I use an old fashioned nut grinder to get an even fine chop on my walnuts. [br]Pecans or almonds would be nice, too. [br]If you don’t have allspice, use 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg.[br]You could totally use currants or golden raisins instead of raisins.

A No Sugar September Update

September 19, 2014 ~ Emily ~ Leave a comment

It’s fitting that I’m writing this with a bowl of Blueberry Crisp and Vanilla Cream by my side. That image is pretty indicative of how the first two weeks of No Sugar September has gone – good with, ironically enough, lots of sweets.

Tim and I have now had no refined sugar, no fake sugars, and no white flour for 16 days. I’d like to offer some suggestions and reflections for anyone interested in going sugar free (and for those who are just curious about how we’re doing at the half-way point).

I’d like to kick this off with Tim’s reflections on No Sugar September thus far, since he wasn’t the one who was originally inspired to go sugar free.

We’re two weeks in, and other than realizing that we’ve been cheating the whole time with Costco’s “pure” vanilla extract, it’s going great! It’s encouraging for me to know that, while I’m not counting calories like I have done in the past, what I’m eating is healthy. Emily is doing a fantastic job cooking, baking, and thinking creatively about how to utilize natural food products. And I’m impressed with how I feel. I don’t have a big of crash at the end of the day, and I’m regular for the first time in a while!

Two things: 1. Leave it to the hubs to mention poop in his reflection. But, bowel health was going to be on my benefits list, so there ya have it. 2. I did discover that vanilla extract has sugar in it. I’m trying not to let it bother my perfectionist spirit. I would like to try making it myself next time around. (Vodka + Vanilla Bean = Vanilla Extract)

This is what I would say if we were chatting at a coffee shop over honey sweetened lattes…

Grocery Cart

Some Benefits of No Sugar September:

Simplified pantry. I’m sure there’s financial merit to stockpiling food when it’s on sale, but having too much food around stresses me out. I feel like I’m going to waste it and the “what to eat” options are overwhelming. I don’t have random prepackaged food cluttering my shelves when I’ve limited my diet and make most things by hand.

Intensity and nuance of flavors: The natural sweetness of food, like vegetables, is enhanced when it isn’t competing with refined sugar.

Less guilt: I feel GOOD about everything that goes into my mouth.

Cooking creativity: I love to cook and bake and I worried that No Sugar September would stifle my ability to experiment in the kitchen. It’s done the exact opposite. I’ve loved the challenge of finding new recipes and adapting our favorites to fit NSS.

Stable energy levels: Tim and I both drink half-caf coffee every morning, but we don’t crash mid afternoon.

Less cravings: I’m still kind of an emotional eater, but I haven’t experienced the intense must-have-junk-food-now type cravings this month.

Grocery shopping with purpose: Grocery shopping is more intentional. I’m not tempted to make impulse buys because I have a meal plan and my shopping cart always looks healthy and colorful.

Other things of note about No Sugar September:

I lost almost three pounds during the first week and then gained a bit back during the second (probably the mass amounts of Peanut Butter Coconut Fudge, Pumpkin Cookies, and Blueberry Crisp I consumed). Tim is down a pound and a half. We were locked out of our garage so I couldn’t get waist measurements before we started. I feel less bloaty, if that counts for anything.

I thought we would spend less on food. We haven’t. Partially because we traveled at the beginning of the month and partially because I haven’t mastered the art of shopping grocery store sales.

A crockpot is indispensable. Between batches of apple butter, yogurt (I’ll be writing a post about the method that has worked best for me), black bean soup, pumpkin spice lattes, and balsamic chicken, I feel like I’ve used my crockpot every day. In fact, my six year old Target cheapy started leaking last week in the middle of a batch of apple butter and I almost had a panic attack. I replaced it the next day with another Target cheapy.

Menu planning is a must. The no sugar life is becoming more intuitive, but at first it makes you feel clumsy and awkward around food. I scoured Pinterest and cookbooks to find dinner ideas and then wrote them on index cards with ingredients listed on the back. To create my month of meals, I just laid out all my cards and arranged them with variety in mind (a lot of sweet potatoes and quinoa). I use the cards to make my grocery shopping list, to get a preview of what’s coming up next, and to give Tim a heads up about what’s for dinner. The meal plan has been flexible (like when we really just want pancakes or waffles for dinner) and I doubt we will get through all the cards this month, but I felt more confident knowing what we could eat.

Staples are an important first step. Before I tackled menu planning, I tackled the foods we ate everyday: bread, granola, yogurt, peanut butter, jam. I pulled out the bread machine and have been making Honey Whole Wheat. We seem to eat less bread now that there are always delicious dinner leftovers for lunch. I tried a couple granola recipes, one better than the other, and then created my own version that I love. I’ve been making my own peanut butter (peanuts + coconut oil + honey) and am using a Honey Plum jam I made that I’m not wild about.

Final thoughts on No Sugar September:

Food is a major part of community. The hardest thing about No Sugar September is navigating social situations while adhering to NSS food boundaries. There have been events like our church picnic where it wasn’t a big deal to eat a burger with no bun and some fruit, but I will always choose community over a no sugar diet. I can bring something NSS approved or invite people over instead of going out, however, I don’t want to make people feel obligated to provide a certain type of food or miss out on connecting with someone over FroYo.

No Sugar September was a lot of work in the beginning. It does get easier as you get into a rhythm and find NSS approved staples that you like. For us, it’s worth it and we plan to heed No Sugar September guidelines for the majority of our food decisions in the future without being restrictive if we want to enjoy a meal out or just need a good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie in all it’s white flour, brown sugar, chocolatey glory.

I love talking about this, so if you have any questions, please jump in to the comments or email me (emgardner8@gmail.com). I keep updating the No Sugar September Resources and will be sharing all the nitty gritties about our menu/food at the end of the month!

Simple Blonde Granola

September 14, 2014August 28, 2023 ~ Emily ~ 5 Comments

But if you call me Anne, please call me Anne spelled with an E. “What difference does it make how it’s spelled?” asked Marilla with another rusty smile as she picked up the teapot. Oh it makes such a difference. It looks so much nicer. When you hear a name pronounced, can’t you always see it in your mind, just as if it was printed out? I can; and A-n-n looks dreadful, but A-n-n-e looks so much more distinguished. (Anne of Green Gables)

I feel the same way about my hair color. B-l-o-n-d looks dreadful and brusque, but b-l-o-n-d-e looks so much more distinguished and elegant. Either way you spell it, blonde carries a heavy weight around on its pretty shoulders. Blonde has a reputation for being light, airy, and shallow. But we all know plenty exceptions to the blonde stereotype, right?

For example, this granola. It’s light. It’s easy. But this Blonde also has substance and flavor that goes beyond its small ingredient list and fair exterior.

Now, I’m a huge granola fan, and in no way against the CrunchyPecanPumpkinFlaxWhiteChocolatePeanutButterRaisin type of granola. However, for my daily granola habit, I needed to exercise some restraint. And when we went sugar-free, I made a handful of not-so-delicious granolas that prompted me to create an everyday granola of my own with no refined sugar and a whole lot of flavor. I stripped down my Gingerbread Granola to make this simple blonde version.

You won’t find spices or brown sugar vying for your taste bud’s attention (or making your granola the more traditional brunette). It’s just old-fashioned rolled oats and sliced almonds getting a simple wash of maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt before spending some time under the dryer (um, in the oven).

The result is a pure granola goodness.

Don’t skip out on the salt. It lends a kettle corn, sweet caramely quality to the granola that is positively addictive. I’ve been enjoying mine on homemade pumpkin yogurt.

Simple Blonde Granola

Author: Emily C. Gardner

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins

Total time: 1 hour 25 mins

Serves: 5 cups

Ingredients

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons maple syrup (110g)
1/4 cup coconut oil (45g)
3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet (preferably one with sides) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl combine oats, almonds, and salt.
In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together maple syrup and coconut oil. Continue stirring until coconut oil is melted and fully incorporated with syrup.
Pour over oat mixture and mix until all dry ingredients are moistened.
Spread moistened mixture on prepared pan.
Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring two or three times throughout the baking process.
Remove from oven and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.