Why not have cookies for breakfast?  I know for me, the thought of enjoying dessert first thing in the morning has always motivated me to get out of the bed without hitting the snooze button for the millionth time.  These breakfast cookies are soft, chewy, and gently sweet, filled with some of my favorite things for an interesting bite every time.  The best part is that these are half the guilt with good-for-you ingredients that won’t make your crash and burn later.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 2 Dozen

Ingredients

• ¼ c coconut oil
• ¼ c ripe banana
• ¼ c brown sugar
• ¼ c raw honey
• 1 ts vanilla extract
• 1 room temperature egg
• ¼ c grated apple
• ¼ c grated carrot
• ¾ c spelt flour
• ½ ts baking soda
• ¼ ts fine salt
• ¾ ts cinnamon
• 1 ts ground flax
• 1 ts hemp seed
• ¼ c chopped nuts
• ¼ c dried fruit
• 1½ c quick oats

Instructions

1. Cream together the coconut oil and banana {you can also use the same amount in avocado} until smooth and fluffy.
2. Blend in the brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and egg.
3. Next, add the apple and carrot. This is your wet bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, flax and hemp. This is your dry bowl.
5. In thirds, combine the wet and dry bowls together.
6. Fold in the nuts, fruit, and lastly, the oats.
7. Scoop and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

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Let’s talk about some of those good-for-you ingredients.

• Coconut oil and bananas vs a stick of butter.  Coconut oil is my miracle balm.  I use it for health and beauty purposes as well as for cooking and baking.  It’s high smoke point is great for any stir fry and can easily be substituted for butter in baked goods.  It’s one of the richest sources of “good fat” with heart healthy fatty acids {but of course, use good sense and moderation}.  Bananas are my go to for creamy smoothies, face masks, and in these cookies.  Just one serving {1 banana} has 450 mg of potassium.
• Flax is a great source of fiber, lignans, and omega 3’s.  Both flax and hemp are my favorite add ins for my daily smoothie. Did you know that hemp contains all the essential amino acids?  It’s also dense in protein and contains a specific omega-6 fatty acid not found in any other food.
• The natural sweeteners I used in these cookies include honey, apples, carrots, and dried fruit.  This allowed me to scale back the amount of refined sugar.
• Oats and nuts.  You can always use soaked steel cut oats but quick oats are just fine for me.  As for the nuts, feel free to use whatever nuts you like.  Walnuts are unique in that they contain the highest amount of alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-based omega-3 essential fatty acid.

Love,

Your Squishy Monster

Pudgy and delicately sweet, this French toast is a breeze to make and it’s something I’m looking forward to eating in bed this weekend.

http://youtu.be/PzCwsScIYLs

5.0 from 3 reviews

French Toast

 

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 room temperature egg
• 2 tb room temperature heavy cream
• 1 ts vanilla extract
• ¼ ts of fine salt
• ½ ts pumpkin spice {or cinnamon}
• ½ tb raw honey
• Zest of an unwaxed clementine {or ½ unwaxed orange}
• 2 slices stale brioche/challah/etc
• 1 tb butter

Instructions

1. In a shallow dish, whisk together all the ingredients except the bread and butter.
2. Soak each side of the bread for 2-3 minutes.
3. In a pan/griddle, melt the butter and cook each side for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with jam, whipped cream, fresh berries, maple syrup or all of the above.

3.2.2708

Happy weekend, friends!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

This method will provide creamy, fluffy, scrambled eggs each and every time.  I’ve expressed my affinity for the ole’ humble egg before and I love its versatility but sometimes, I crave a straightforward dish with them like these perfect scrambled eggs.  Minutes into it, I’ve settled down snugly into my little breakfast nook with hot, custardy eggs, and crisp buttery toast, reverie in an otherwise hectic, blurry morning.

httpv://youtu.be/n3xXPE-ho2A

5.0 from 3 reviews

Scrambled Eggs

 

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: 1 Serving

Ingredients

• 3 cold, fresh, free range eggs
• 1-2 tb cream {or whole milk} per each egg
• 2 tb unsalted clarified or whole butter
• S & P

Instructions

1. Crack your eggs into a bowl and swirl in the cream.
2. Whisk vigorously for 3-5 minutes.
3. In a non stick pan set over medium-low, glaze with butter.
4. Pour in the whisked eggs and allow to set for a moment. Think “folded” eggs vs “scrambled.” You want the curds to be as large as possible, therefore making them softer.
5. Half way in, salt {and pepper if desired}.
6. Slightly under cook {as there is carry over heat}. Most importantly, you do not want to over cook the eggs. If you want to be super technical, serve on a warmed plate and sprinkle with chives/cheese/etc.

3.2.2807

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^..~

I often get asked, what’s your favorite ingredient?  That’s a toughie.  I’m partial to automatically (and most enthusiastically) exclaiming my allegiance to butter or bacon, but not far behind is the humble egg.  Experts ping pong back and forth on whether or not they’re good for you, but my loyalty to the egg remains firm.

Legend has it that a chef’s hat held as many folds as s/he knew how to cook an egg, a 100-fold hat being reserved only for the heads of the most knowledgeable culinary experts.

Eggs are affordable, versatile, convenient, and yummy!  Not to mention, they’re high in protein and have 13 essential nutrients.

Fresh eggs are the best and lend themselves beautifully in everything from my quiche and steak & eggs to bibimbap!

I’m fairly unhappy when my fridge doesn’t hold any eggs and with an abundance of them, (they had a mega-super-deal on organic eggs this week) I was happy to whip up another satisfying egg based dish.

Smothered with hot, gooey cheese, the yolks underneath are still rich and runny, spilling it’s butteriness onto a bed of robust, herbed tomatoes, happily pooling with more cheese.

(Fyi, I had mine for breakfast, but paired with a salad and some rustic bread, it would also make for an amazing supper)!

What else can you make with eggs?

• My favorite breakfast sandwich: Bacon, Egg, and Jam (crazy yes, but crazy good)!
• Omurice/Fried Rice
• Soft Boiled, paired with Asparagus and Cheese (another one of my fave ways to eat Eggs)
• Frittatas
• Crepes
• Spanish Tortilla
• Deviled Eggs
• Eggs Benedict/Poached Eggs
• Soft Scrambles
• Custard/Zabaglione
• Herbed Egg Sandwiches
• Eggs in a Hole/Egg Nests
• Breakfast Soufflé/Casserole
• French Toast/Bread Pudding/Strata
• Huevos Rancheros
• Egg Drop Soup
• Croque Madam
• Eggs Sur le Plat
• Steamed Eggs
• Loco Moco
• Cheesecake/Flan

Baked Eggs {Shirred Eggs}

 

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Ingredients

• 1 tb olive oil {not extra virgin}
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 ts thyme (or basil)
• ½ ts crushed red pepper
• 12 oz crushed tomatoes (I like San Marzano)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 ts sugar (or ½ c diced carrots)
• Eggs (as many as you like)
• 2 tb cream
• ¼ c parmigiano-reggiano
• Slices of fontina, gruyere, mozzarella, etc
• Fresh tomatoes, toast, parsley

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed pot, slicked with oil, soften your garlic, herbs, and pepper flakes.
2. Slowly add in your tomatoes, season, tuck in your bay leaf and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. Sprinkle in your sugar.
4. Ladle in sauce on bottom of baking dish and crack as many eggs in as you want.
5. Drizzle over cream and sprinkle over and layer with lots of cheese.
6. Broil at 350 for 5 minutes (less or more depending on how you like your eggs).
7. Serve bubbling with fresh, seasoned tomatoes, buttered toast points, and garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley.

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Wishing you a golden delicious morning, noon, and night!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster

I’ve had it in my head to watch The Sound of Music very soon.  Maybe I’ll watch it with the Gabs.  She and I have had an amazing whirlwind week of fun and games.  I’d always wanted a boy, but she’s making me want to change my mind!

Eggs Benedict.  With a rich and runny egg, it starts the day off right with a bit of decadence, like the golden ambrosia of early morning.

and I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing wrong with a bit of dessert after breakfast–why not?  Warm Coffee Cake–da bomb paired with a bold french press… (video is written down in the books).

Our Tea Party complete with baby Red Velvet Cakes,  jammy-clad because that’s just how cool we are

Pretty little fishies.  They remind me of the ones that my Aunty had when I lived with her in Texas.

“Chocolate Milkshakes” –total fake out for finicky eaters: Unsweetened Almond (or Coconut) Milk, Unsweetened Cocoa, Crushed Ice, and a bit of Agave for a subtle hit of sweetness.

One even landed on my shirt but flew away before I could catch a shot.  One of the most beautiful things an adult ever told me when I was a kid?

“Just when the Caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a Butterfly.”

All of the other Hydrangeas had browned and sagged, but this little cluster still made it through!  (I wish I had a macro lens to capture all the water droplets).

After the week I’ve had, I thought this was too funny.

I hope that through ordinary life, you’re able to see the good, the happy, the great.  Bad news or not!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster ^.~

Anxiety and depression is something that I struggle with everyday but it’s been bearing its weight on me pretty heavily this week.  It’s been a mad and tumultuous week and something that I’m glad is over–ish, and glad that I experienced it to bring me to where I am now…reveling in a rare moment of clarity where I can truly enjoy simple pleasures such as swimming in a lazy cup of tea with a thick stack of warm pancakes before me, mesmerizing me with its thick glossy coat of golden maple syrup.  (It has to be the real stuff)!  Sure, the carbs don’t hurt but it’s how ever so soft and fluffy pancakes can be with its irresistible crispy edges that, when paired with Saturday morning cartoons, makes everything seem alright.  It’s like the food version of a big fluffy robe and soft cozy slippers.

So c’mon, sink in and get lost with me (at least for a little while).

Buttermilk Pancakes

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Ingredients

• 1 c unbleached flour
• 3 tb brown sugar
• 1½ ts baking powder
• ¼ ts baking soda
• ¼ ts fine salt
• ¼ ts cinnamon
• ⅛ ts freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 room temperature egg
• 1 c room temperature whole buttermilk
• 1 ts pure vanilla extract
• Butter

Instructions

1. In your first bowl, gather all of your dry ingredients and sift them in. This includes your flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. In your second bowl, whisk together your egg, buttermilk, and vanilla until nice and frothy (approximately 3 minutes).
3. Slowly drizzle your second bowl into your first bowl and mix just to combine (don’t over mix, lumps are fine).
4. In a hot skillet, melt a tablespoon or so of butter and ladle in your batter. *Only flip once and don’t press down.*

Notes

Optional: ½-1 c Chocolate Chips, Blueberries, etc. It helps if you fold them in by hand at the last moment and coat them in a tablespoon or so of Flour first so they don’t sink as much

3.2.2124

What happened to that girl that used to party all night long, slump over in a heap at 5, sleep in all day, smear on lip gloss and do it all over again?  She is gone.gone.gone.  When I think back of how stupid me and my gfs all were, it’s a wonder we didn’t have the SVU involved somehow.  We would hop into cars with boys we barely knew and drive forever, or at least until the next party.  I don’t know what I would do if my future daughter were to do these things.  I’d probably sweat and stress harder than on a day like today (it’s 109 out today eeek)!

So sue me if that same girl today extracts more pleasure out of biting into something delicious at a hole-in-the-wall joint that she just happened to stumble into or perusing through shelves lined with groceries.  I dare you to call me homely.  Justin Timberlake brought sexy back?  I’m bringin’ homely back.

Pssst…there’s nothing to be ashamed of, my friend if you concur

Breakfast

There’s a local place that makes all-butter croissants from scratch.  You’ve probably unknowingly consumed a dozen pastries or so made with sweetex or crisco.  I really like Spectrum and I’m not afraid of lard…and I don’t suppose I must reiterate my allegiance to butter.

Lunch

A type of Korean 5-grain rice, spicy potatoes and stir-fried anchovies.

Dinner

$16 Kobe Burger. Geez louise.  This is what I get for being a foodaholic vs a shopaholic.  Nothing left but pictures and an anorexic wallet.

Midnight Snack

How many Orchids had to die for a chocolate cheesecake, lol (yes, part of being old–er is laughing at your own jokes)

Eating followed an entire morning of going somewhere to look at more food at my local Farmer’s Market.

Sample of tabouli and falafel with baba ghanoush.

Later into the day, me and my friend rode the light rail and watched the sunset…

I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!

Stay cool (literally and figuratively) because cool is what you make it!

Love,

Your Squishy Monster

It’s rare for me to get a Saturday off so when I do, it’s divine.  Any down moment is best spent indulging in all things yummy and this is especially true on the weekends.  It’s even rarer to be able to have breakfast with baby brother so he helped me make crêpes and we ate them together Baby brother has many talents but doing anything in the kitchen but eating, is not one of them.  He will gladly sing you a lullaby to sleep and maybe even a good morning song the next day but ask him to fry an egg and forgettaboutit!  Crêpes are fantastic because they’re a breeze and they reward you with a delicious mouthful (or two, or three…)

Crêpes

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: The Squishy Monster

Serves: about 10 Crepes

Ingredients

Dry

• 2 c flour
• 4 tb sugar
• ½ ts fine salt

Wet

• 1 c whole milk/buttermilk
• 1 c water
• 4 tb melted butter
• 3 ts pure vanilla extract
• 4 eggs

Instructions

1. Tip all your wet ingredients into a blender and pulse to combine.
2. Sift in your dry ingredients (in three separate additions) into the blender. Lumps are your friend, you just don’t want to over mix.
3. If you have the patience or time, stick your batter into the fridge for about 30 minutes. I find that this really helps with minimizing tearing your crepe sheets.
4. Melt 2 tb of butter on your griddle/pan, and ladle in about ¼ c of your batter, more or less, depending on the size of your pan, and swirl to blanket the surface. You are aiming for a paper thin sheet.
5. Flip only once. It helps to use a rubber spatula (and your fingers, if you’re brave).
6. Allow them to rest/cool in a single layer.
7. Serve/stuff/drizzle with whatever you please.

Notes

Flavor Variations: Banana Crème fraîche Lemon Blueberry Pineapple Toasted Coconut Caramelized Peaches or Bananas Brown Butter Caramel Mascarpone Berries or Nutella Berries For Savory Crêpes, omit the Sugar and add a total of 1 ts Salt + 1 ts Garlic/Onion Powder. The addition of Buckwheat Flour or Herbs is also very nice. I love Ham & Gruyere or Spinach Artichoke Savory Crêpes.

3.2.1753

 

I hope that you make these with your kids and that you’re having a delicious weekend!

XOXO

Your Squishy Monster

]]> http://thesquishymonster.com/2012/05/crepes.html/feed/ 16 http://thesquishymonster.com/2012/05/saturday-morning-crepes.html http://thesquishymonster.com/2012/05/saturday-morning-crepes.html#comments Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://thesquishymonster.com/?p=35 read more]]> It’s rare for me to get a Saturday off so when I do, it’s divine.  Any down moment is best spent indulging in all things yummy and this is especially true on the weekends.  It’s even rarer to be able to have breakfast with baby brother so he helped me make Crêpes and we ate them together Baby brother has many talents but doing anything in the Kitchen but eating, is not one of them.  He will gladly sing you a lullaby to sleep and maybe even a good morning song the next day but ask him to fry an Egg and forgettaboutit!  Crêpes are fantastic because they’re a breeze and they reward you with a delicious mouthful (or two, or three…)

Print

Basic Crêpes

Yield: about 10 Crepes

Ingredients

• Dry
• 2 c Flour
• 4 tb Sugar
• 1/2 ts fine Salt
• Wet
• 1 c whole Milk or Buttermilk
• 1 c Water
• 4 tb melted Butter
• 3 ts pure Vanilla Extract
• 4 eggs

Instructions

1. Tip all your wet ingredients into a blender and pulse to combine.
2. Sift in your dry ingredients (in three separate additions) into the blender. Lumps are your friend, you just don’t want to over mix.
3. If you have the patience or time, stick your batter into the fridge for about 30 minutes. I find that this really helps with minimizing tearing your Crepe sheets.
4. Melt 2 tb of Butter on your griddle/pan, and ladle in about 1/4 c of your batter, more or less, depending on the size of your pan, and swirl to blanket the surface. You are aiming for a paper thin sheet.
5. Flip only once. It helps to use a rubber spatula (and your fingers, if you’re brave).
6. Allow them to rest/cool in a single layer.
7. Serve/stuff/drizzle with whatever you please.

Notes

Flavor Variations: Banana Crème fraîche Lemon Blueberry Pineapple Toasted Coconut Caramelized Peaches or Bananas Brown Butter Caramel Mascarpone Berries or Nutella Berries For Savory Crêpes, omit the Sugar and add a total of 1 ts Salt + 1 ts Garlic/Onion Powder. The addition of Buckwheat Flour or Herbs is also very nice. I love Ham & Gruyere or Spinach Artichoke Savory Crêpes.

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Copyright © 2012 The Squishy Monster is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at: thesquishymonster.com/contact-me.

I hope that you make these with your kids and that you’re having a delicious weekend!

XOXO

Your Squishy Monster

]]> http://thesquishymonster.com/2012/05/saturday-morning-crepes.html/feed/ 14 http://thesquishymonster.com/2012/05/fill-in-the-facts-friday.html http://thesquishymonster.com/2012/05/fill-in-the-facts-friday.html#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://thesquishymonster.com/?p=99 read more]]>
Watch this video on YouTube Embedded with WP YouTube Lyte.

1. This weekend, I am most looking forward to making Lemon Blueberry Pancakes with my Niece.  (I intend on posting a video for this recipe).
2. The highlight of today was getting an Ice Cream Cone with my Niece.
3. I am loving my multi-colored nails right now
4. For Breakfast, I ate smoked Salmon

1. I want to go swimming!
2. I smell the pear-berry lotion that my Niece made me put on
3. I am listening to Kimbra over and over again.  and again.

Grilling Burgers & Hot Dogs tonight.  My pretty Princess just informed me that she doesn’t like buns and that she’d like a large swirly mound of Ketchup on the side of hers =D

Happy Weekend Everyone!

XOXO

Your Squishy Monster