There Will Be Cake

Power Protein Waffles

I've been working hard to incorporate more healthful, whole, and natural foods into my diet this summer. As an avid baker, this can be a conflict when it comes to sweet desserts and carb-laden breakfast foods like pancakes and waffles. But I've discovered wonderful alternatives to all-purpose flour and white sugar; ingredients like whole wheat pastry flour, brown rice syrup, and flax meal not only serve as nutritious alternatives but they're quite flavorful as well.

I can't really take credit for this waffle recipe here. I discovered it on a blog I only recently started reading: Running Around Normal. As a newbie runner, Paige is an inspiration. Like me, she started running with the Couch to 5K program (I have 2 weeks left! I can't believe how far I've come). This waffle recipe is just one of many I am excitedly trying as I embark upon this new, healthy lifestyle.

If you are like me, then you love waffles but loathe the lethargic, bloated feeling that soon follows any carbohydrate fest. These waffles left me feeling full (but not bloated) and energetic! They also stave off hunger for a very long time. Also, the topping is divine! I bet it would be wonderful with fresh fruit. Also, these aren't vegan but could easily be converted with a milk alternative, egg substitute, and a dairy-free yogurt for the topping.

Flower Cookie Pops

I made these adorable flower cookie pops as a gift for my mom on Mother's Day. The cookie recipe is from Joy of Baking, right here. I also used the royal icing recipe (the powdered egg white version) on that same page.

A pretty flower pot with some floral foam and river rocks serves as the perfect way to present these. What I did was cover the bottom of the pot with some rocks to weigh it down, added floral foam which the lollipop sticks stuck into, then covered the foam with some more rocks. So cute. Here's a picture of the almost finished gift (this doesn't show the top layer of river rocks and I also wrapped each cookie in clear cellophane tied with a ribbon).

Smoky Fish Chowder

Image Credit: Real Simple

I'm a month or two behind on my favorite magazines. Over the weekend, I finally had a chance to sit down and read through the January issue of my favorite magazine, Real Simple. As a big fan of eating, I most look forward to the food and cooking sections. This recipe for a tomato-based fish chowder is out of this world, thanks to the addition of smoky, salty chorizo sausage. The leftovers are even better. Serve it up with a big hunk of whole grain ciabatta bread, if you want. I did.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

I'm a terrible blogger. I hope these individual cookies and cream cheesecakes help make up for my absence. I made these for a New Year's Eve party. These most decadent and delicious mini pieces of heaven come from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes
from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 42 Oreos, 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped
• 2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F. Line muffin tins with a paper cupcake liner, then place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add sugar slowly, followed by the vanilla extract. Make sure to scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Drizzle in the beaten eggs slowly and continue to beat. Add the sour cream and pinch of salt and mix until everything is well-blended. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

Fill each cupcake liner almost to the top with the batter. Bake for 22-26 minutes, rotating the muffin tins halfway through. Cool completely on a wire rack, leaving the cheesecakes inside the tin. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight is better). I put mine in the freezer for about an hour and they were fine.

These will keep very well in the freezer if wrapped in aluminum foil. I had about 8 extra that I didn't bring to the party and I wrapped them individually, then froze them. I might have one thawing out right now.

Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cupcakes

Coconut and chocolate? Meh. I can take it or leave it. Coconut and cake, particularly vanilla cake, are another story. Yum. More please. Are you a coconut and cream cheese fan? These fluffy, moist, and intensely flavorful cupcakes are for you. Has the Barefoot Contessa ever steered you wrong? I didn't think so. Make these as soon as you can!

Kicking Canned Food Out of the Kitchen

You've probably heard a lot about bisphenol A over the past year or so, more commonly known as BPA. While our government is dragging their feet on making a statement about BPA, a number of studies have concluded that it is linked to cancer, diabetes, and other endocrine disorders (it mimics estrogen) in additional to neurological and behavioral disorders in children.

Polycarbonate and plastic-lined water bottles have been at the forefront in the media surrounding the dangers of BPA. Fortunately, companies like Nalgene and Sigg now produce BPA-free water bottles. I've replaced my own water bottles and travel mugs with BPA-free versions.

But did you know that most canned food products are also exposed to BPA? The lining on the inside of the can contains BPA, which comes in contact with the food. A recent study states that the levels of BPA found in canned food is of concern, especially with acidic food like tomatoes (note: the full article appears to be unavailable online - but you can find additional information on BPA here and here).

Tomatoes! I rarely buy most canned vegetables or meats, but canned tomatoes (diced, crushed, whole, or paste) are a staple in my kitchen. I'm also a frequent buy of canned chickpeas, black beans, and other beans. That the ingredients I cook with, the ones I use to make healthy meals, could actually be dangerous, is troubling.

While there are a few companies out there that do not use cans containing BPA, I have yet to find one that makes this claim for their canned tomatoes. Eden Foods is one company that offers beans in BPA-free cans. However, a can of Eden beans will run you $3-4; that is at least twice if not thrice the price of a can of beans from the usual brands.

Still, the more I learn about BPA, the more it scares me. It may cost me more and inconvenience me more, but I am pledging to eliminate canned food from my kitchen. Here are a few things I'm doing to make this transition:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Shoo Fly Pie (with molasses instead of King Syrup)

Buttermilk Sweet Potato Pie

All Butter Flaky Pie Crust

Cider Doughnuts

I just finished making Smitten Kitchen's Apple Cider Doughnuts. Excuse me while I finish licking cinnamon sugar off of my fingers.

Amaretto French Toast

As a kid, I looked forward to weekends mostly because my dad would get up early and cook us a grand breakfast. I vividly remember waking up to the smell of his cooking - the scent of sizzling bacon, slightly charred toast, and scrambled eggs drifting down the hallway as it made its way to my bedroom. I still like to wake up on the weekends and cook such a breakfast at least once a month. It is a welcome change to cold cereal.

This morning I woke up to half a loaf of Italian bread that had gone stale. It was perfect for this adultified version of french toast. If you're serving this to kids or simply do not wish to use alcohol, feel free to leave it out completely and add a teaspoon of almond or vanilla extract in its place.

Chicken Orzo Soup

I may be biased, but my mom makes some of the best chicken noodle soup on the planet. I have fond memories of "soup night" in our house. I can't remember ever not having a second bowl. There was never a written recipe for my mom's soup. It was actually passed down to me over the phone one afternoon when I called her up and said, "Mom, I want to make your soup," and she walked me through it. Over the years, her chicken noodle soup has become my own. I've made some changes and some additions, but it's still mom's darn good soup at its heart.

I've been sick for nearly a week now with no end in sight, so a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup is very much in order. Normally, I boil a whole chicken in chicken stock to start off, but in my freezer today were frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I also had a gallon of chicken stock I made a while back. You can use this type of chicken breast as well, but if you can, boil a regular chicken (whole or in parts) in a gallon of water or chicken stock until it's just cooked through. Remove the chicken with a pair of tongs, then strain the liquid into a large bowl and use this as the base of your soup. The chicken is shredded and added at the end, as described in the recipe below.