Mommy Homemaker

Truly worthy of any Christmas cookie list and a nice change from the usual shortbread and chocolate chip. These are very easy to make and stay deliciously chewy and crispy if kept in an airtight container.

Yields: approximately 3 dozen cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup uncooked oats 
• 2 cups coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Method

1. Cream together butter and sugars.

2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

3. Sift together dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture.

4. Stir in the coconut and pecans.

5. Chill dough in the fridge for 10 minutes.

6. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls on to a greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.

7. When done, cool cookies on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Enjoy! 

Recipe courtesy of Cooks.com

Tried, tested, and true and best prepared the night before. Bread pudding is one of my toddler’s favourites - this alone motivates me to get up an hour early to put it in the oven. What can I say? There’s nothing like a hot, homemade breakfast (or snack, or dessert). 

The pudding shown is made with fresh pears and cinnamon, but other alternatives are fresh berries or apples paired with golden raisins. Tip: Before baking, simmer the raisins in a saucepan of water for 5 minutes to soften them.

Yields: 4-6 servings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fruit or berries
• 4 cups whole wheat bread, cut into cubes

Method

Recipe adapted from Weelicious.com

I make my own bread and sometimes as a treat for my son, I will make cinnamon swirl bread. Today, I turned a few slices into this wildly delicious gingerbread French toast.

Yields: Approximately 6 small pieces of toast

Ingredients

• 6 pieces of cinnamon swirl bread
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup of milk (or more, if you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Butter or coconut oil for frying

Method

1. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, beat eggs, milk, vanilla, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt with a fork until well incorporated.

2. Soak bread in mixture for 30 seconds on each side.

3. Cook on a greased skillet or frying pan until the bread is golden brown on each side and cooked through.

4. Serve with your favourite topping or fruit. My son usually has his topped with strawberries or bananas. Apple sauce works well, too - especially as a French toast sandwich for lunch!

This is by far the best pork chop recipe I have ever had, and I’m not even a pork chop person. It really does taste like something from a fine restaurant. It’s also a great way to use up that leftover white wine. Hah. Who am I kidding? What’s leftover wine?

Ready in: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops, 1 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 garlic cloves, freshly minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Method

These are a delicious treat with a layered flavour that will melt in your mouth. Be careful though, it’s hard to stop at just one!

Yields: 3 dozen 1-inch balls.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats, ground in a food processor
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used my own)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened

Method

This is hand’s down the best peanut butter I have ever tasted! It’s so good that I don’t think my family will ever go back to jarred. A neat aside is that you can bake peanut butter cookies with it, too!

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups lightly salted peanuts
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons honey

Another delicious brownie recipe from Weelicious.com! I even managed to sneak in a whole zucchini to make them healthier. My son, the picky eater, loved them and was none the wiser.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1 small zucchini, finely grated

Method

1. Combine first four dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.

2. Combine the honey, egg, vanilla, and coconut oil in a separate bowl.

3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine.

4. Add grated zucchini to the brownie mixture and stir until well incorporated.

5. Spread the batter into a buttered or greased 8 x 8” pan.

6. Bake for 25 minutes.

7. Cool then cut into squares and serve.

My 19-month-old devoured two mini pizzas for lunch today. Not only is this fun to make, it’s very nutritious, too! I found the following recipe here but have tweaked it a little to accommodate our dietary needs.

Yields: 4 mini pizzas or one big one

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sweet potato, cooked and warm
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup flour (I used half whole wheat, half all-purpose)
• Marinara sauce, enough to lightly cover each pizza
• Shredded mozzarella cheese, enough to lightly cover each pizza
•  Additional toppings of your choice

Method

1. Steam and mash sweet potato.

2. Stir coconut oil into sweet potato mash.

3. Stir in flour until the mixture resembles a soft dough.

4. Pat dough into a circle on to a baking sheet and top lightly with marinara sauce, cheese and any additional toppings.

5. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool.

Enjoy!

This is by far the most decadent chocolate buttercream frosting I have ever tasted. What I really enjoy about this recipe is that it’s not overly sweet and you only really need one cupcake to feel satisfied. That said, I sent my husband to work with the rest… just in case. The original recipe is courtesy of Savory Sweet Life.

Yields: 3 cups of frosting

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3-1/2 cups confectioners (powdered/icing) sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Method

1. Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, then turn off mixer.

2. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl and turn on mixer at the lowest speed until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. 

3. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extra, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes.

Now go frost those cupcakes!

*Note:

For a stiffer frosting, add the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.

For a thinner frosting, add additional milk/cream 1 tablespoon at a time.

I had a sudden urge late last night to make avocado chocolate pudding when I came across this recipe from Pennies on a Platter. The ingredient list may be minimal, but the taste is quite sophisticated - as my husband says, “it’s more savoury than sweet” and still very chocolatey. The best part is that my toddler loves it! I can finally get him to eat avocado!

Yields: approximately 1-1/2 cups of pudding

Ingredients

• 2 ripe medium avocados, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
• 1/2 cup milk (I used non-dairy)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Method

Using a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. This can be served right away but I find that it’s best if chilled in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Enjoy!