For this loaf I didn't include the chocolate chips--but I have other times, and would recommend it.

Way to satisfy all of your cravings in one stop–salty peanut butter, rich banana bread, and sweet chocolate–all in one stop. AND this recipe is actually relatively healthy, with reduced butter, a little bit of flax, and relatively wholesome ingredients. Oh, except for that delicious peanut buttery glaze. But you need to make that. Because that’s what takes this bread over the top.

This versatile loaf is great for breakfast, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, or anytime you feel like a hit of peanut butter, banana, and chocolate. It will go fast.

It was hard to get photos of this, because every time I make it, it goes so fast.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread
adapted from Cooking Light’s Best Baking Recipes edition

Yields 1 loaf (about 12 to 16 slices)

Ingredients
3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups)
1/3 plain yogurt (or buttermilk)
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips OR 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
Cooking spray
Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly coat a loaf baking pan with cooking spray.

Melt the butter and set it aside so it cools slightly. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together your dry ingredients: flour, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, and peanut butter. Mix until smooth. Add the butter and beaten eggs. Make a well in the bowl and add your dry ingredients. Stir only until combined. Add your chocolate chips or chopped peanuts.

Pour batter into greased baking dish and bake in the middle of your heated oven for about 1 hour, or until a wooden skewer down the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan on your wire rack for about five or ten minutes, then take out of dish and let cool completely on rack.

To make the glaze, mix together the three ingredients (powdered sugar, milk, and peanut butter) until very smooth. Beat with a little whisk or a fork. Drizzle glaze over the bread. Enjoy!

buttermilk + blueberries = joy

It is fair to say I am mildly obsessed with pancakes. But I so adore making (and, um, eating) pancakes that I can’t hold back posting another pancake recipe. (Yes, I have posted one or two before.)

But right now these are my favourite, for so many reasons. First of all, simple ingredients, and no fussing about with melted butter this or grinding oats that. They are made with whole-wheat flour, and are hearty and filling. And they are made with buttermilk, so they have a lovely fluffiness and flavour.

Certain little toddlers around here love them too, so I’ve been making a batch every few days. Yes, we are a pancake-friendly household, and we are okay with that. Whip up a batch of these on a leisurely Sunday morning, top with blueberries and yogurt and maple syrup, and enjoy the carby bliss of pancake perfection.

The buttermilk makes these pancakes so light and fluffy, even with the whole-wheat flour

Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
adapted from Cooking Light’s Best Baking Recipes edition

Yields 12 pancakes

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large eggs
Topping of your choice: I recommend blueberries, yogurt, and of course maple syrup
Cooking spray for the pan

Method
In a large bowl, mix the flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a smaller bowl (or a large measuring cup, which is what I use), combine the buttermilk, oil, and 2 eggs, mixing briskly with a fork to fully beat the eggs.

Pour the buttermilk/egg mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.

Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle, coating lightly with cooking spray. When pan is hot, reduce to medium heat. Using a 1/4 measure, drop batter on pan. Cook on first side until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look dry. Flip over, and cook for another couple of minutes.

Keep cooked pancakes in a lightly-warmed oven (about 170 degrees F) on an oven-proof plate, until ready to serve.

Serve with piping hot coffee and your toppings, and you’re good to go!

A towering stack of pancakes makes for a dramatic presentation.

Simple whole-wheat bread is a perfect daily staple.

I love to exalt bread! Humble food that it is, I think it touches a chord in us. If you’re like me, just looking at a picture of beautiful homemade bread makes you feel happy. It is so comforting and so elemental.

We’ve been trying to bake all of our bread by hand since January 1st, and so far, so good. My favourite bread stall at the farmer’s market might make me avert my eyes, but it is good for our wallets and waistlines. I like nice bread–I’m a bread snob–and the cost of buying artisanal breads can rack up. Good thing that you can bake delectable bread at home for a fraction of that cost.

This bread is perfect for sandwiches and toast.

This recipe, from the venerable Joy of Cooking, is ridiculously fool-proof. It has yielded us perfect results for the many loaves we’ve churned out. And it is flexible: it has dealt nicely with fridge rises; over-proofing; a rise on such a hot surface the dough started baking in the bowl (opps!). Amidst all of these errors, it has always turned out deliciously wholesome, with a tender, fluffy texture.

Bake it and tell me what you think. I hope these comforting loaves bring you warmth on a chilly January morning.

Daily Whole-Wheat Bread
Yields two 9×5 inch loaves
from the Joy of Cooking

Ingredients
1/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey
4 cups whole-wheat flour
4 cups white all-purpose flour

Method:
In a large bowl, put in 1/4 cup warm water and the yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until yeast is dissolved.

Add the beaten egg, melted butter, 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water, salt, and honey. Stir.

Add in the eight cups of flour.

Knead for about 8-10 minutes, until the dough feels smooth, with a slight stickiness.

Lightly grease a large bowl, and place the dough in a bowl, covering with a tea towel. Let rise until double in a warm place, about an hour.

Lightly grease two 9×5 loaf pans. Push the dough down and slice it into two even pieces. Knead each smaller piece for a few minutes, then shape each piece into an oblong and place in the baking dish. Cover with tea towels and let rise until doubled, or for about 45 min. Nearing the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Slash the top of each loaf with a sharp knife in three small diagonals. Plus in the centre of your heated oven. Bake for about 45 min or until crust is golden. If you thump the bottom of the loaf, it should sound hollow. Let cool on a rack.

These loaves freeze well.

Though made with whole-wheat, cutting half with white-flour keeps these loaves light and fluffy.

All the gorgeous fall apples have made me overbuy lately, so I have been looking for creative ways to use up their fresh deliciousness. This healthy, naturally-sweetened whole-grain waffle recipe looked like such a good way to start the day, I needed to try them out.

Loaded up with whole-wheat flour and oat bran, and without any sugar and minimal fat, these are a guilt-free way to use up those apples. I can also vouch for the fact that certain one-year-olds are also fans. Don’t let my pictures discourage you from using maple syrup, though–that would be the final touch of decadence and would taste fabulous.

Apples are so amazing in October–eat up!

Whole-Grain Apple Waffles
adapted from recipe on Whole Foods website 
yields 6 large waffles

Ingredients
1/4 cup oat bran 
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup non fat plain yogurt 
2 eggs 
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon canola oil 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 cup grated red apple, peeled

Method

• Preheat your waffle iron.
• Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
• In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs, and mix in the yogurt. Add the canola oil and vanilla; stir. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, and add your apples.
• If the batter looks a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of water to get a spreadable consistency (I needed to do this).
• Place a spoonful of batter onto your waffle iron and cook until golden and cooked through.
• You can freeze leftover waffles and toast them for an quick, easy breakfast.

Cooler mornings are upon us, and soon the farmers’ markets will be overflowing with bright harvest vegetables. This is the time when it feels so nice to get a hot mug of coffee or tea, and enjoy a delicious muffin while staring dreamily out the window ruminating on the change of seasons. What, you don’t get to do that every morning? Don’t worry, neither do I.

These muffins are especially tender.

Muffins might not be glamourous, but they are comforting and delicious. Not to mention handy, especially when you’re in a rush and need to grab something on the way out the door.

I have tinkered with many muffins recipes, and this one is especially tender, fragrant with spices, and even has some wholesome attributes. After all, you get a dose of whole-grains and the healthfulness of pumpkin in every bite. I fully anticipate to be baking this recipe many times this fall and entreat you to do the same.

Spicy Pumpkin Muffins

I could spend a lot of time explaining where exactly I’ve been for the last eight or so months (my one blog post mid-summer doesn’t quite fill that gap), but it is probably summed up best by saying that this September I gave birth to two beautiful little girls, and that our lives have been, quite properly, turned upside down.

Understandably, my time in the kitchen has been so disconnected, for many months I didn’t know where anything was, the state of the pantry and spices was a disaster (no really–don’t ask me about moths *shudder*) and the baking sheets long ago fell behind the stove.

Slowly but surely, I am dusting off the mixing bowls and remembering how to turn on the oven. This IS the season, after all, for playing around in the kitchen!

In that fun and festive mood, I made a batch of gingerbread cookies to hang on the tree, something I do every year. Their delicious, spicy aroma lingers for weeks and weeks and will make wherever you hang them smell amazing. Just make sure you make enough so you can sneak one every day, as a little Christmas present to yourself.

Honey Gingerbread Cookies
Deliciously fragrant with festive spices, the honey in this recipe makes these cookies a little bit sweeter, crisper, and lighter than does the traditional molasses. They bake up into a very pretty honey-brown colour, and the dough yields nicely for rolling and cutting out into shapes.

Yields about 45 cutouts (my cutters are about 2-3 inches long)
adapted from Canadian Living

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup honey (you can also use the more traditional molasses)
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt

Method

In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar. Once mixed and fluffy, add the egg and honey. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Work into the

honey mixture slowly. By the end, you’ll have to use your hands to work it all in–it will be a dry, stiff mixture.

Knead a few times together into a smooth ball. Separate dough into three pieces; flatten into rectangles. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (You can keep the dough in your fridge for up to a week.)

Once ready to form your cookies, sit dough out on the counter until pliable enough to roll out. Between sheets of parchment, roll dough outuntil about 1/4-inch thick. Flour your cutters and cut out your cookies. [At some point in the rolling process, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.] Ball together the scraps and re-roll and cut out more. And again and again, until your dough is used up!

Place cutouts on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. To create a hole for hanging, I like to use the end of a bamboo skewer. Use your tool of choice here. Bake for 15 min for crispy cookies to decorate and hang on your tree, or about 10-12 for softer cookies just for eating. Cool on a rack. If you’re inspired and want to decorate, here’s the recipe for Royal Icing.

Royal Icing
from the Joy of Cooking

Making decorating icing can be a messy task, but this recipe is nice and simple, and doesn’t make an overabundance, so you’re not using a mountain of icing sugar. (Unless you want to–then feel free to double or triple the recipe.)

yields 1/2 cup icing
Ingredie1 1/3 cups (divided) icing sugar
1 egg white

Method
In a large microwave-safe bowl, mix the egg white and 1/3 cup icing sugar until well combined. Microwave for 30 seconds. [This step is to heat the egg so the icing doesn't pose a salmonella risk.]

Beat in 2/3 cup icing sugar until stiff peaks form. Add up to another 1/3 cup to make it as stiff as you’d like. You can keep the icing in the fridge for a few days, if you’d like–but make sure to cover it with a damp tea towel so it doesn’t dry out.

Decorate your cookies–scatter them with glitter, too, if you’d like–let them dry, thread, and hang on your tree and enjoy the fragrance!

It feels so good to post again. I’ve had a long absence from this blog, which has been so hard. I was quite ill throughout the late winter and all of spring, but am now finally starting to feel well again.

Now that I’m slowly getting into the kitchen again, I realize how much I need to blog–not just because it is so fun, but also because it helps keep me organized in the kitchen!

My illness was very hard, but with a wonderful reason behind it–I am pregnant with twins, due at the end of October. I had extreme morning sickness (all-day, all-night sickness, actually) that kept me from doing anything. Now that I’m safely into the second trimester and stabilizing, I can return to life! And it feels amazing–let alone with the exciting and overwhelming life change that is happening.

There you go–that’s my news, and I’ll move on to the important thing at hand–food! I was so uninterested in food for so many months, to even be cooking again is a miracle. Let me tell you–it is very hard for someone who LOVES to cook feel completely incapable of stepping into a kitchen. The smell of food was enough to make me keel over.

It’s a good time to return to cooking–now with the end of spring and the near start of summer….the food options are gorgeous. Tonight L. grilled some steaks for us, and I wanted a light and simple side of vegetables. Because I’m still far from being up to complicated or multi-ingredient cooking, the fewer ingredients, the better. This roasted vegetable salad with feta is a fast, hands-off side that is perfect with anything from the grill.

Roasted Zucchini and Red Pepper Salad with Feta
Serves 2 to 3 hearty appetites as a side dish

Ingredients
2 large zucchini
1 large red pepper
1/3 cup crumbled feta
fresh lemon juice, about a tbsp
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop zucchini and red pepper. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Roast in oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and lightly crisped.

Place vegetables in a bowl, and sprinkle with lemon juice, and perhaps a dash more of olive oil, if they seem dry. Toss with the feta. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

One of my favourite childhood memories is sitting at the kitchen table (the same one I have now) as my generous and patient mother deftly flipped out pancake after pancake.

I ate them shamelessly by hand, tearing into them, no toppings at all. Why would I have needed toppings? They were thin and tender, always scented with lemon, with lacy edges.

It is little wonder that I don’t feel like a weekend is worthy unless pancakes make some kind of appearance. And sorry, pancakes in a restaurant just are not going to cut it. They are usually too sweet and taste of baking mix.

Based on how simple this recipe is, I was delighted with how delicious they were. These healthy and satisfying whole-grain pancakes have a light and nutty flavour, perfect with a splash of maple syrup and some fresh sliced fruit. These make for a wonderful go-to, fast recipe, and would be the perfect foundation for any of your favourite add-ins, like blueberries or chopped walnuts.
Yes, I have progressed to using utensils and adding toppings to my pancakes…but I still like them lemon-scented and fresh from the skillet.

Flax and Oat Pancakes
from Moosewood Restuarant Cooking for Health

Yields 16 4.5 inch pancakes (serves about 4-6)

These simple and healthy pancakes are quick to whip up and provide a delicious and hearty start to your day. Pair them with some scrambled eggs for a brunch worthy of a king, and top them with any kind of sliced fruit suits your fancy.

Ingredients
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk (could be soymilk, buttermilk, or just plain milk)
1 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
zest of one lemon

Method
In a small blender, whirl the rolled oats until they’re the texture of coarse cornmeal.

In a large bowl, mix the oats, ground flaxseed, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir well.

In a large measuring cup or small bowl, mix the milk, yogurt, eggs, oil, and water, until well mixed. Mix in the lemon zest.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients; stir until combined. (Do not over-mix).

Heat a lightly greased non-stick skillet on medium heat until hot. Spoon your batter in 1/4 cup amounts on the hot skillet. Cook on one side until bubbles firm and the edges dry out; about two minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for about a minute.

Keep your pancakes warm on an oven-proof plate in the oven at 150 F until you’ve made them all.

These pancakes freeze nicely; heat them up in the toaster for a mid-week treat.

Nutritional Facts
per 1 of 16 pancakes (52 g): 98 calories; 5.6g fat; 8.5g carbs; 1.6g fibre; 3.1g protein

What better way to start the month of March than by baking up a batch of decadent and simple chocolate chip cookies? This is the long-awaited second half to the Cookie Double Header Weekend that started with chocolate and fig biscotti.

Blog updates: But before heading into the cookies, I’m sorry for not posting for a couple of weeks. Life has been pretty crazy, and it just hasn’t been possible. No more pausing there, however.

I also wanted to mention that I will not be continuing posting meal plans. I think that meal planning is such a specific thing, to a given family’s tastes and preferences (and locale) that it is not necessarily transferable to others.

It was a fun experiment on my end, but I’m happy to let it rest for now. Plus, not posting meal plans will allow for a bit more spontaneity on my end. And that suits upcoming spring quite nicely.

Now onto more important matters–like these cookies. Originally from David Lebovitz’s book The Great Book of Chocolate, they are, for me, the quintessential and perfect chocolate chip cookie.

Great recipes, like this one, have a backbone of simplicity to them. The simplest blend of butter, flour, salt, sugar, provide a salty-sweet backbone of cookie. The luxurious add-ins of chocolate and toasted nuts make these crave-worthy.

If you’re looking for a classic, crispy, salty and sweet nugget of a cookie, it’s time to try this recipe.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
from Smitten Kitchen

These cookies are the perfect balance of chocolate, nut, and buttery-sugaryness, and just scream classic. I particularly love making them into little bite-size nibbles the size of a teaspoon.

Yields 40 cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch (1cm)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (or 1/4 teaspoon salt)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Method
Preheat your oven to 300 F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Blend in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

In a separate smaller bowl, mix together the flour and salt, and stir into the butter mixture. Add the chocolate and nuts, and stir until combined. Shape into tablespoon-shaped balls, and space two or three inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for about 15 min, or until a pale golden colour.

Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about three days. You can also freeze them for a month or two with no problems.

Nutritional Facts
per 1 of 40 cookies (22g) 109 calories; 6.3 g fat; 12.6 g carbs; 0.7g fibre; 1.3 g protein

Ever since Christmas, when I got a stand mixer, I’ve been inspired to make as many of our breads by hand as possible. An ambitious goal, perhaps, but one that has yielded tasty results. Soft breads in fun twisty shapes. Breads that don’t require kneading at all (sorry, stand mixer!).

Those who are crazy (sorry–passionate) enough to bake bread regularly know that the scent of freshly baked bread is frankly, enormously addictive.

Life has been a wee bit stressful lately, and throwing ones’ hands into a vat of dough is strangely soothing.
Here is one of my recent favourites–a seedy, flavourful loaf that yields perfect sandwich bread and is delectable with any toppings.

When L. came home the other night with a giant tub of sunflower seeds (oops, should have told him that the recipe I was making only needed a few tablespoons), the surplus sunflower seeds called out to me. “Use us!” They begged. So I dug around and found this recipe, and it instantly appealed. What is better than fresh bread? F.B. + seeds, that’s what better.

Sunflower and Sesame Seed Bread
adapted from allrecipes.com

This light and richly flavoured dough bakes up into beautiful large loaves, with a gorgeous sesame seed crust. It slices perfectly for sandwiches and freezes very nicely, as well. This has become our new daily favourite.

Yields 2 large loaves
(16 servings each)

2 cups warm water
6 tablespoons honey
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sesame seeds + 2 tbsp
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Method
In a large bowl, dissolve 6 tbsp of honey in 2 cups of warm water. Sprinkle with 2 1/4 tsp of yeast, and let proof for 10 minutes.

Mix in 1/4 cup of oil and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Then start adding in your flour, a cup at a time. As the dough starts to get stiffer, make sure you’re mixing it in well. Add your seeds in about half-way through the flour additions. Once all your flour is incorporated, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 min.
Place kneaded dough in a clean oiled bowl covered with a damp tea towel for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and cut into half. Shape into two loaves and place on your baking sheets. Cover again with the tea towel and let rise for about 45 min, or again until about doubled.
Preheat your oven to 375 F.

Brush the loaves with a bit of water and then sprinkle a tbsp of sesame seeds on each loaf. Bake at 375 F for about 30-35 min. Loaves are done when they sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

Nutritional Facts
per 1 of 32 servings (47g): 121 calories; 4.2g fat; 18.7g carbs; 1.8g fibre; 3.3g protein