No-Fail Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I have recently been trying to master homemade pizza.   The crust is the hardest part.  I've tried several recipes, but they always seem to come out too "bread-y" and kind of flimsy.  Then I discovered Lauren's Fail Proof Pizza Dough over on Lauren's Latest.   She includes some great tips for making a restaurant quality pizza crust.  One of her tips is to use bread flour.  I did not use bread flour (I plan to one of these days to see the difference), but the end result was still great.  Another one of her tips is to knead, knead, knead the dough.  Of course, she used a stand mixer to do this, while I used my hands!  It was hard work, but I kneaded for the recommended six minutes, and it paid off!

BBQ Chicken Pizza on No-Fail Pizza Crust

The only change I made in the ingredients of this recipe was to replace the bread flour with two cups of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour.  I was very excited with the results.  The crust came out chewy and crispy- just the way I like it!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

I try to vary my kids' weekday breakfasts.  Don't get me wrong, cereal is quick and easy when we are trying to get out the door on time, but it can get boring day after day after day...  I also worry that it isn't all that healthy, especially when your kids have nagged you enough that you finally say yes to the cereal that is ladened with preservatives and artificial colors and flavors.  Eww!  It happens every once in a while (especially when Dad does the shopping).

I decided to make these blueberry lemon muffins that I found over at The Girl Who Ate Everything.  I thought they would go well with fruit & yogurt parfaits or green smoothies..  I love that they are made with frozen blueberries because we always have these on hand. 

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

To make these muffins a bit healthier, I replaced half of the white flour with whole wheat flour.  I also replaced the sugar (in the batter) with agave nectar.  These were a hit with my family and co-workers (my son wasn't so happy that I decided to share our leftovers).  These muffins crown nicely (Don't you just hate puny, flat muffins?).  They aren't overly sweet, either.  The sugar topping is the perfect touch.  They will make even the novice baker a star!

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.