Cinnamon Breakfast Biscuits

Every so often, when I was teaching, the ladies in the cafeteria would serve cinnamon raisin biscuits with a sugar glaze drizzled over top.  I would get so excited when the scent of cinnamon and warm gooey goodness  greeted me as I entered the building.  I always had to buy one, even if I'd already eaten breakfast.  They reminded me of the cinnamon raisin biscuits from Hardees.  YUM!  Anyway, I discovered this recipe for cinnamon biscuits in my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.  I just had to try them.  I did make a couple of changes by using a combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour.  I also cut back a little on the butter and used a little bit of applesauce to make up for it.  I didn't use raisins because my kids are weird about them, but these biscuits turned out yummy without them!

Cinnamon Breakfast Biscuits

Chewy (No-Bake) Granola Bars

I was on a quest to find healthy snacks/treats to pack in my kids' school lunches.  We love granola bars at this house, and we used to buy huge boxes of Quaker Chewy Granola Bars.  But then I got on a kick to make as many things "homemade" as I could to avoid all the added junk that goes into packaged foods (you know, all the ingredients and preservatives that you can't pronounce).  So, I started searching for recipes.  I love the no-bake recipe from Krafrecipes.  It's simple and oh so yummy!  I have made a change in the recipe that my family seems to enjoy even more.  Instead of using plain oatmeal, I have used a combination of granola and plain oatmeal.  I make these almost on a weekly basis, because they just don't last long! 

Chewy (No-Bake) Granola Bars

I keep these granola bars stored in the freezer (originally so they would keep for a while--but that is never an issue!).  I still keep them in the freezer in the hopes that it will deter us from eating them so fast--because it takes more effort to get them out of the freezer.  I then pack them into lunchboxes in the morning. They thaw in no time, and my kiddos thank me every time they find one in their lunches.

Healthy Whole Wheat Pancakes

I'm so excited!  I've done it.  I've gotten my kids to eat whole wheat pancakes without turning up their noses and complaining.  In fact, all I could hear was, "Mmm... these are so good!"  The pancakes were fluffy (flat pancakes are so disappointing) and very tasty. You can't beat that in a low-fat pancake.

Even better, I made Gina's blueberry compote that can be found over on Skinnytaste, and the kids couldn't get enough!   That's saying something, because these days I have a very difficult time getting my son to eat any fruit other than an apple or something from a can!  I only had frozen blueberries, but it came out perfectly.  It was a bit sweet, but you can adjust the amount of sugar to your taste.

How about that...I sneaked in some whole wheat goodness and real fruit!  Take that kids.  I'm going to make you healthy eaters whether you like it or not!

Healthy Whole Wheat Pancakes

The true test of these pancakes was the next morning.  We defrosted the frozen pancakes in the microwave for 30 seconds and then popped them into the toaster.  They were still yummy!  What a great (and quick) weekday breakfast.

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

So the other night I had decided to make a Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole from The Girl Who Ate Everything, and as I got started, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to buy a can of red enchilada sauce.  Just great!  I couldn't wait to try this recipe, and now not only can I not make it, but I have nothing else ready to go.  Quick! Think!  Then I remembered that I had seen a recipe online for homemade enchilada sauce.  So I got out my computer and started searching.  I quickly found several recipes and chose to make Texas Red Enchilada Sauce. I had to tweak it a little bit, because I had tomato sauce instead of tomato paste.  I really thought this was going to end up a dish that my family would have to 'stomach' rather than enjoy. However, I was very proud of the end product.  The enchilada sauce tasted great, and the chicken and black bean casserole was DELICIOUS!

Chicken and Black Bean  Enchilada Casserole (picture by The Girl who Ate Everything)

I'd also like to think that my enchilada sauce is healthier than the canned version.  I'll have to check it out the next time I go shopping.