Will Run For Honey Apple Pancakes (& t-rex eyeball rings)

who needs syrup or a fork?

Grateful people are happier people.  At least that's what I've heard.

In an attempt to be more grateful I've been writing the things that I am grateful for on post-it notes and sticking them to the bathroom mirror (luckily 8 year olds for the most part don't care what you look like).

Some things that I'm grateful for this week:

1.  T-Rex eye ball rings.  A student thought that I was special enough to give a gummy rubber ring with a rolling t-rex eyeball in it to.  It was the best present that I got all week. Sure it was warm, grubby and had been on his finger but he was so proud. 

2.  A bed full of bouviers and/or a bathtub full of bouviers.

bouvier in the bath

bouvier in the bed

3.  Outdoor runs.  7 K outdoors is better than 7K on the treadmill even if it is -25, you have to slather your face in shea butter so your skin doesn't crack off and your running partner complains the ENTIRE time.  Maybe I'm exaggerating a little.

4.  Guinea pigs.  We adopted Simone & Soda Marcelle 5 week old guinea pigs from our local SPCA!

Simone

 Marcelle Marcelle or Soda Marcelle depending on who you ask

5.  Snow days.  Thank you. I've appreciated the quiet time but enough is enough.  You can keep your super snow ice storm(s) to yourself.

On snow days when I only have a handful of students we usually find our way to the kitchen and make healthier versions of some of their favourite foods (in the name of procedural writing of course).  This week it was pancakes & oatmeal cups.

Honey Apple Pancakes
(6-8 pancakes)

*1/4 C ground oats

*1/2 C whole wheat flour

*1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 flax egg (1 T ground flax + 3 T warm water) or 1 chicken/duck egg

3/4 C + 2 T unsweetened apple juice

2 tsp honey

1 T olive oil

1 small apple peeled and grated (e.g. royal gala, macintosh)

Step 1: In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.  In a smaller bowl combine wet ingredients including grated apple.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until lumpy.  

Step 2:  Heat griddle.  Pour 1/4 C of batter on griddle for each pancake.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until surface is bubbly.  Turn pancake and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

Step 3:  Serve with apple sauce, apple butter, syrup or honey. 

* you can substitute whole wheat flour or all purpose flour for the flour combination. 

Cider Poached Apples With Brandy Coconut Cream, Spiced Walnuts, and Apple Cider Syrup

party for breakfast!

Who doesn't like a party for breakfast especially on Christmas Eve?  There are a few steps to making this dessert (or breakfast) happen but they are all really good excuses to get up early, drink lots of coffee, and lounge around in your pyjamas. 

 

poaching apples

Poached Apples

*6 Gala apples 

8-10 cups apple cider (reserve two cups after poaching for making cider syrup) 

2 cinnamon sticks

lemon juice

Core apples (it's worth investing in an apple corer or asking for one for Christmas).  Peel top 1/3 of apple.  Brush peeled portion of apple with lemon juice.  Add 8-10 cups of apple cider to a heavy bottomed pot along with 2 cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil.  Add apples.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Allow apples to cool in cider for approximately 30 minutes.  Remove from cider and serve at room temperature.  

* If you are not using Gala apples be sure that your apples will hold their shape (Macintosh apples for example DO NOT hold their shape.  Hello, apple sauce!).

While you are waiting patiently...

coconut cream

Coconut Cream

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp brandy

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Place can of coconut full fat coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight to separate the thick cream from the milk.  Open the can & scrape out the thick cream.  Add 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp brandy & 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste.  Whip until desire consistency is reached.  Return to refrigerator until needed.

* Alternatively you can use 1/3 cup of whipping cream.

spiced walnuts and cider syrup

Spiced Walnuts

1 C walnuts

1 T amber maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp butter, earth balance or coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

Preheat oven to 300 F. Melt butter.  Combine butter, maple syrup, spices and walnuts.  Bake on a baking stone for 8-10 minutes or until crispy.

Cider Syrup

2 cups apple cider

Boil cider until it reaches a syrupy consistency.  This should take 15-20 minutes.  Once it cools you may want to add some reserved apple cider to thin syrup.  You'll want to watch it closely (burnt syrup smells awful and makes washing the pot a bit of an adventure.  So I've heard.).

da, da, da, la... cider poached apples

Merry Christmas!  I hope your holiday is filled with dessert for breakfast and all of your favourite people and things.

Will Run For Cinnamon Date Apples and Dumplings

breakfast or dessert?

1/2 marathon slacking training for Sudbury Rocks has officially begun.  In order to reduce the chances of getting run over by a bus or a snow machine (our sidewalks have been replaced with mountains of snow and apparently snow machine trails) PB and I decided to run inside instead.  I got to experience extreme treadmill running when Hank decided that he wanted to join me on the treadmill (twice) as I was rocking out to Beyonce videos (don't judge.  It wasn't like I was watching American Idol.  PB.).

Who?  Me?  I couldn't possibly have launched myself at the treadmill.

Hank & I both survived the treadmill.  We decided to celebrate with apples and dumplings (or just apples in Hank's case).

Apples and Dumplings

Apples

6 C of Macintosh apples (peeled, cored & sliced)

1/4 C diced dates

1/3 C apple juice

1 T cornstarch

1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cardamom

 seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Dumplings

1/2 C wholewheat pastry flour

1/4 C all purpose flour

1 T sugar 

1/2 tsp baking power

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/3 C + 1 T soy milk soured with 1/2 tsp lemon jice

1 T melted coconut Earth Balance (or butter or margarine)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.  Combine apples, dates, apple juice, cornstarch, vanilla seeds, and grated ginger in a casserole dish.  Bake for 15 minutes uncovered.

you could just stop here and eat the apples

2.  While waiting impatiently for the apples to cook in a small bowl combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and soda.  Stir in soy milk and melted Earth Balance.  Dough should be sticky.

dumplings ready for the oven

3.  Remove casserole dish from oven.  Spoon heaping tablespoons of dough over apples. Cover with lid, foil or a silicone baking mat and cook for approximately 15 minutes. 

4.  Serve with apple cinnamon dip, greek yogurt or ice-cream.

5.  Enjoy having your furry running partner lay on your feet as you sit at the computer.

Will Run for Apple Cinnamon Dip

Summer vacation is almost over (gag!).  I've spent the summer filling up the sarcasm tank and mentally preparing for another ten months of 7 & 8 year olds (if anyone can really prepare for that). 

  The end of summer vacation means the beginning of cake club and staff room treats.  Sometimes you need a slice of coconut cream cake after you've just spend the last 40 minutes teaching two dimensional shapes to an opera singing ballerina chicken.  

While I'm not really one to pass up cake I love to share healthy treats with my students and my co-workers (who I am pretty sure think that I come from another planet most of the time.  It could be the homemade deodorant, my bright green shorty running shorts, my funky metal lunchpail or  101 other things).

On that note you'll find a delicious recipe for cinnamon dip below to go with the deliciously imperfect apples that are sitting on my counter.  Apples that have lumps and bumps and are not the size of a small child's head.

deliciously imperfect

While apples are delicious on their own dip makes everything better especially cinnamon dip!

Apple Cinnamon Dip

(makes 2 cups with some extra for taste testing)

ingredients

*Silken Tofu Extra Firm (for grilling, stir frying & sauteing)12 oz/349g

1/3 C apple juice

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Place all items in a blender and blend until desired consistency is reached (1-2 minutes).

* Be sure to use extra firm silken tofu otherwise the texture of your dip will either be gritty or too runny.

This makes a great dip but it can also be used in place on yogurt in parfaits or as a topping for crumbles or cobblers.  Yum!  For a nuttier taste add 1-2 tsp of unrefined sunflower oil.