Month: December 2019

Cinnamon and Maple Waffles

Last Updated on April 21, 2024 by Jess

“How clean can I make this recipe before my family rejects it as ‘not as good?’ It’s like a game for me. When it comes to breakfast, I will cut some of the fats, replace the fats to make them a healthier version, and then use real maple syrup instead of white sugar. Sometimes I win. Sometimes I lose. Today, I won with these cinnamon and maple waffles.

My parents gifted my family a waffle maker for Christmas. It’s like they read my mind. My kids eat frozen waffles almost every day. So today I opened the box, Googled ‘whole wheat waffles’ and picked a recipe. My kids loved them. Then I thought, “Why not take the risk and totally change the recipe to make it clean?” So I did. And while my son was already full, the bite (and second and third that he came for afterward) of the clean waffle was declared, “BETTER THAN THE FIRST!” with two thumbs up. Mom win! The picture isn’t beautiful with syrup (my 9 year old ate his bites sans syrup), but you can bet I’ll be preparing a bunch of these in these next few days and filling my freezer for my kiddos as school comes back in session! I hope your family enjoys them as much as my son and I did!

–Jess

Your Ingredients for Cinnamon and maple waffles

  • 2 cup whole wheat flour (you can do a mix of whole wheat and white flour, but decrease the milk as you go)
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (optional)
  • 2 eggs, mixed in a separate bowl first
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 1 3/4-2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of your choice!)
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Your steps:

Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and flaxseed) in a bowl. Add mixed egg, coconut oil, almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Cook in a heated waffle iron (Mine took just about 3/4 cup of batter and cooked for 3-4 minutes. Follow you own directions). Serve with your favorite waffle toppings. I think these would be GREAT with a little nut butter for protein and maybe just a smidge more syrup, but you do what makes you happy 🙂

Notes

I was out of whole wheat flour AND almond milk (gasp!) recently so I made these with white flour and skim milk. They got two thumbs up, but I needed to decrease the milk by a 1/4 of a cup.

These freeze great for weekday morning breakfasts. Prep, allow to cool, and then place in a freezer bag.

First dry ingredients. Then mix in the wet.
Crack the eggs in a mug and whisk with a fork for easier incorporation!
What a perfect canvas for your favorite waffle toppings!

Tool of the trade

If you’re going to put together some waffles, you’ll need a great waffle maker, right? Now, I know they take up space, but worth the investment if your family is a waffle eating family like mine is!

Cinnamon and Maple Waffles

Good for you ingredients combine for these cinnamon and maple waffles that you and your kids will all crave.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cup whole wheat flour you can do a mix of whole wheat and white flour, but decrease the milk as you go
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed optional
  • 2 eggs mixed in a separate bowl first
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
  • 1 3/4-2 cups unsweetened almond milk or other milk of your choice!
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions
 

  • Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and flaxseed) in a bowl.
  • Add mixed egg, coconut oil, almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir until combined.
  • Cook in a heated waffle iron (Mine took just about 3/4 cup of batter and cooked for 3-4 minutes. Follow you own directions).
  • Serve with your favorite waffle toppings.

Notes

If you prefer all purpose flour, be sure to decrease the milk to 1 3/4 cups.
These freeze great for weekday morning breakfasts. Prep, allow to cool, and then place in a freezer bag.
Keyword apple and cinnamon, maple, waffles, whole wheat
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other breakfast ideas?

Here are a few of my favorites!

JessLeave a comment

Quick and Easy Lasagna Bake

Last Updated on April 17, 2024 by Jess

I may not look it, but Italian blood runs through my veins and I LOVE a good pasta dish. Homemade lasagna warms my soul and my belly, but I hesitate when making it because it’s a labor intensive dish. And the noodles! I spend too much time worrying about whether they will break, stick together, and the like. Because of that, I generally compromise with baked ziti, but it just isn’t the same. Then this quick and easy lasagna bake bake came into my life, and I am forever grateful. The inspiration came from Taste of Home’s Lasagna Toss, but has quite a few modifications by me.

Your ingredients

  • 1 lb ground Italian sausage (I used my Italian-seasoned ground venison)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
  • 2 cups chopped, raw spinach
  • 8 oz. noodles of your choice, cooked and drained (I used penne)
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • grated parmesan cheese
  • parsley

Your Steps to Lasagna Bake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes, until just turning translucent. Add sausage, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Cook until meat is browned. Stir in spaghetti sauce and chopped spinach. Cook until spinach is cooked down, approximately 6-8 minutes. Stir in noodles.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta and 1 ½ c mozzarella together (add more basil and oregano here if you are a spice king or queen!).

Grease a casserole dish. Pour half of the meat mixture into the pan. Spread the cheese mixture on top of that by dropping small spoonfuls onto the meat and breaking apart with your fingers to evenly spread it out. Add remaining meat mixture. Top with 1 ½ cup of mozzarella, grated parmesan, and parsley. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes. For perfectly browned cheese, turn on the broiler to 450 degrees in the final 1-2 minutes of cooking. Be sure to watch it though. Cheese can go from perfect to burned crazy fast! I always take the risk because I LOVE me some perfectly browned cheese (I am a Wisconsin girl, you know…we love our cheese.)

Is there anything better than onions and garlic?
Mix it all together
Top with cheese…
And then more cheese
Who’s ready for dinner?!

Looking for more dinner inspiration? Check out my cooking page by clicking below!

Cooking

Tools of the Trade

Not too many tools required for our lasagna bake, but I will say, a good Pyrex casserole dish and flexible cutting boards are ALWAYS a must 🙂 Check the links below to add to your cooking collection!

Quick and Easy Lasagna Bake

Love lasagna but not the prep that goes with it? Create a quick and easy lasagna bake to skip the prep but keep all the flavor!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 10

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground Italian sausage
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
  • 2 cups chopped raw spinach
  • 8 oz. noodles of your choice cooked and drained (I used penne)
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • grated parmesan cheese
  • parsley

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, sautĂ© onion and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes, until just turning translucent.
  • Add sausage, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.
  • Cook until meat is browned. Stir in spaghetti sauce and chopped spinach. Cook until spinach is cooked down, approximately 6-8 minutes.
  • Stir in noodles. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, mix ricotta and 1 ½ c mozzarella together. Feel free to add more basil and oregano here as well.
  • Grease a casserole dish. Pour half of the meat mixture into the pan.
  • Spread the cheese mixture on top of that by dropping small spoonfuls onto the meat and breaking apart with your fingers to evenly spread it out.
  • Add remaining meat mixture.
  • Top with 1 ½ cup of mozzarella, grated parmesan, and parsley.
  • Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.
  • For perfectly browned cheese, turn on the broiler to 450 degrees in the final 1-2 minutes of cooking.

Notes

Be careful with the broiler. It’s my favorite technique for getting browned anything, but can easily go from perfect to burned. Watch it carefully. 
Keyword Italian, lasagna, pasta bake
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

From Scratch Italian Wedding Soup

Last Updated on April 17, 2024 by Jess

Soup. It speaks to my soul. If someone said I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, I would choose soup in a heartbeat. Here’s the thing: I love all the parts of the prep; the chopping, the cooking of garlic (because you need all the garlic in your life), the long slow cook on the stove in a Dutch Oven, all of it. And this Italian Wedding Soup fits all the bills.

I may not look it, but I have enough Italian in my DNA to call myself an Italian, and ALL Italian food makes my taste buds do a happy dance; so when I saw a recipe for Italian Wedding Soup, I immediately started looking at all sorts of recipes to pull my favorite parts and make it my own. I was happy with how quickly this got pulled together and everyone in our family loved it!

Ready to get cooking? Let’s get started!

Your Ingredients

  • 1 lb of Italian sausage seasoned ground venison (regular ground Italian sausage would work great!)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 4 Tablespoons bread crumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 2 cups finely diced carrots
  • 4 cups chopped spinach
  • minced garlic, 2-3 cloves (I like to do a cereal spoon-ful, but do to taste. I have only experienced too much garlic once in my life)
  • 11 cups chicken stock, low sodium
  • 1 cup orzo
  • salt, pepper, and basil to taste

Your steps To Italian Wedding Soup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. Set aside.

Mix the eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and ground venison together. Shape into 1 inch meatballs and place on the lined baking pan. Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes, until cooked through. (If you haven’t cook meatballs this way yet, you have to give it a try! It saves a lot of stress in terms of making sure they don’t burn in a pan as well as the yuck of clean up. I wouldn’t do it any other way now!)

Meanwhile, sauté the carrots with garlic, salt, and pepper until softened. Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil.

Once the chicken stock is boiling, add orzo and cook to al dente. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add spinach and meatballs. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Easy and delicious.

I’m loving all the uses I’m finding for this seasoned ground venison. It’s still low fat and healthy, a great alternative to Italian sausage, which we love at this house.

Measure, measure, measure
I love being able to get greens in all my meals
Baked meatballs…the way to go!
Perfection.

From Scratch Italian Wedding Soup

Looking for a simple but so delicious soup to serve? This Italian Wedding Soup has a little of everything: orzo, meatballs, carrots, and spinach. Give it a try!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 4 tablespoons bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 4 cups chopped spinach
  • 2-3 cloves minced garlic
  • 11 cups chicken stock low sodium
  • 1 cup orzo
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Basil to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Mix eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and Italian sausage (venison or regular) together. Shape into 1 inch meatballs and place on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, saute the carrots with garlic, salt and pepper until softened.
  • Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add orzo and cook to al dente. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add spinach and meatballs. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Keyword Italian sausage, Italian Wedding Soup, meatballs, soup, soups and stews
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other soups and Stews?

You can check out my cooking page here, or let me just tell you a couple of my favorites!

Corn and Pancetta Chowder

JessLeave a comment

Brussel Sprout and Berry Salad with PoppySeed Dressing

Last Updated on April 17, 2024 by Jess

As spring comes into full bloom, I get slightly obsessed with a spinach salad with strawberries and poppyseed dressing. I recently went grocery shopping and picked up some berries, but no spinach. However I did get some Brussel sprouts and I got to thinking, “I like my greens to provide some resistance anyway, and spinach just doesn’t do that for me.” I threw this Brussel sprout and berry salad together and I was pleasantly surprised! It’s better than its spinach counterpart, and major perk, Brussel sprouts keep better in the refrigerator than spinach, if you can let them last that long. I don’t know about you, but once I have a salad I love, I eat it every day until I am out. But enough chat, let’s get creating!

Your Ingredients

For each Brussel Sprout and Berry Salad, you’ll need:

  • 10 Brussel sprouts, chopped (I tried grating them first; chopping is the way to go!)
  • 1/4 cup chopped strawberries
  • 1/4 cup blueberries
  • A handful of walnuts (Try toasting them in a pan over medium heat for extra crunch!)

For the dressing, whisk together:

  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon poppyseeds

(This was enough dressing for six salads)

Put together your salad: Brussel sprouts, berries, and then the walnuts; Top with dressing and enjoy! If the Brussel sprouts are a bit too tough for you (I like the texture and “work” they provide), you can also sear them in a sautĂ© pan over a high heat until they just soften. Allow to cool before creating your salad.

Be sure to store the leftover dressing in the fridge and shake or stir prior to using for future salads.

Simple, colorful, delicious!

Chop up the sprouts!
Whisk the dressing!
Serve it up! So quick and easy!

Looking for another summer time salad? Check out my Roasted Corn Tomato Basil Salad!

Brussel Sprout and Berry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 1 serving

Ingredients
  

For each Brussel Sprout and Berry Salad:

  • 10 Brussel sprouts chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped strawberries
  • 1/4 cup blueberries
  • handful of walnuts

Dressing (6 servings):

  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon poppyseeds

Instructions
 

  • Whisk together dressing. Store in an airtight container like a mason jar.
  • Put together your salad: Brussel sprouts, berries, and then the walnuts.
  • Top with dressing and enjoy.

Notes

If the Brussel sprouts are a bit too tough for you (I like the texture and “work” they provide), you can also sear them in a sautĂ© pan over a high heat until they just soften. Allow to cool before creating your salad.
Be sure to store the leftover dressing in the fridge and shake or stir prior to using for future salads.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment