Homemade Granola, Yogurt and Fruit Parfait

Granola, Fruit and Yogurt Parfait 

It is 2010!  Can you believe it?  Why does it seem the older you get, the faster time flies?  I think it's the older the kids get, the faster time flies!  Five years is nothing to us, but they become entirely new people in that short time....almost unrecognizable.  

Meeting the new year is complicated, isn't it?  Sometimes,I feel so happy to be leaving the old year behind!  So long 2009... can't wait to see what the next year brings.  Other times, I feel a little wistful  I get sentimental looking at my children, seeing how fast they grow and change.  One thing that seems consistent in my life, year after year, is that despite how much I love Christmas (and I do love holidays) by January 1st I am ready to pack up all the decorations, clean the house, get organized and maybe even rearrange the furniture.  Fresh starts, brisk days, and new resolutions.  I will eat better, exercise more often, stay organized, have my daily quiet time, etc. I am discovering that any type of change starts with the small, daily decisions.  Those tiny little decisions that often seem insignificant can add up to make a huge impact in your life.  This year I have vowed to try to get the kids to eat healthier.  So in the Growing Gourmets blog, along with all those recipes for holiday treats, I will include recipes for healthy and delicious treats too!  First up...Homemade Granola, Yogurt and Fruit Parfait!  Happy and healthy eating in 2010!

Layer creamy vanilla yogurt, crunchy homemade granola and fresh fruit

 like strawberries, blueberries and pineapple in a clear glass 

for a delicious, healthy breakfast or afternoon snack.

Homemade Granola

4 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups sliced almonds

2 cups coconut

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 cup dried fruit (berries, cherries or apricots)

1 stick butter

1 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, wheat germ and dried fruit in a large bowl and set aside.  Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until heated and everything is melted.  Pour the sauce over the oats mixture and mix well.  

Pour the mixture on a sheet pan..  Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice golden brown (about 20-25 minutes).  Remove the granola from the oven and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Good as cereal, yogurt topper or snack!

Hot Chocolate Station!

Hot Chocolate Bar 

Hot! Hot!  Hot Chocolate!  If you are like our family, the words to the famous song in "The Polar Express" movie make you want to curl up by the fire with a hot cup of creamy cocoa.  Add some Christmas music, a soft blanket and a good book for a perfect evening.  A fun way to involve the whole family is to create a small "hot chocolate station" where everyone can mix, stir and sprinkle their way to a perfect cup!  I included chocolate covered peppermint sticks, marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, cinnamon and sprinkles.  We leave the station on our drink bar all season, inviting family and friends to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or even coffee.  If you are having a party include mugs, creamers and whip cream for a full hot beverage bar.

A Mug of Marshmallows

I love this time of year.  I love it because of the beautiful sounds of Christmas carols, the sweet taste of fudge and peppermint bark, the smell of the freshly cut Christmas tree and the sight of a crackling fire.  Everything about the season engages the senses and beckons family togetherness. But the main reason I love Christmas is the celebration of the Incarnation!

The INCARNATION!  What an amazingly powerful word.  The Incarnation...God of the universe who humbled himself and became flesh.  The God Man, Jesus Christ,  born a baby in a lowly manager on the most holiest of nights over 2000 years ago.  Since childhood, I have enjoyed sitting out under the stars on a cold night and imagining what those shepherds must have felt as a heavenly host of angels appeared in the sky.  Of all the nights in human history, I am drawn to this night.  If I could travel back in time, I would choose this moment, when the angels sang praises in the night sky announcing the Prince of Peace to a group of unknown and unimportant shepherds.  Why the shepherds?


When the business of this season weighs on me, all the shopping, cooking, wrapping, and extra activities, I am reminded of that still, quiet night.  Maybe God chose those shepherds, tending their sheep, because of their calm, quiet spirits sitting in the stillness of the night.  This is why I like Christmas Eve the best.  On Christmas Eve everything in the world winds slowly down...the shopping is done, the presents wrapped, the food cooked, and stillness comes over the whole world.  This Christmas, I encourage you to find a moment to step outside and gaze at the stars.  Maybe you will hear the songs of heavenly hosts ringing in your ears!


Hot Chocolate
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 1/2 cups hot milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/8 tsp salt


In a large saucepan. combine the sweetened, condensed milk, cocoa, vanilla and salt.  Mix well.  Over medium heat, slowly stir in the milk.  Heat through, stirring occasionally.  Serve warm!

Vanilla Caramels

Vanilla Caramels

Today I am posting a recipe for yummy homemade caramels.  Pretty easy for Mom or Dad to make, but not for the kids.  Candy-making is difficult to do with children because of the long cooking times and precise temperatures.  This recipe is one they will enjoy eating instead of making!

Vanilla Caramels

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Line an 8 inch square pyrex pan with foil and generously spray with cooking oil.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over high heat, cook sugar, without stirring, until it begins to melt.  Be careful with this. When it starts to melt, it browns and bubbles quickly, so you may need to remove from heat for a minute to prevent it from burning.  Once the sugar is completely melted, remove from heat and add the cream.  The sugar wll seize into a solid mass.  Add the butter and corn syrup. 

Fit a candy thermometer to pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture liquefies.  It usually takes about 20-30 minutes.  Increase the heat to medium high and cook until the mixture reaches 238 degrees F on a candy thermometer.  You want to leave it there for a minute or two before you remove it from the heat but before the temperature rises. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract.  Carefully pour the caramel mixture into the buttered Pyrex dish.  Smooth any bubbles on the surface and let cool until caramels are firm but still slightly warm (about 30 minutes).  

Lift caramel from the pan, peel away the foil and cut into small squares with an oiled knife.  Wrap individually in waxed papers.  Time to eat a few and share a few!

Super Secret Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Walls Family Pumpkin Bread

My twelve year old son had a fit when I told him that I was going to post my pumpkin bread recipe on the "Growing Gourmets" blog. 


"But that's a secret family recipe," he protested.  


How sweet!  I smiled to myself and reassured him that if you have something wonderful, it's important to share it with others.  The best part of the story is that, contrary to his belief, the recipe is not one that was passed down in our family.  Back in my post college, pre-marriage days, I acquired a pumpkin bread recipe from a coworker that was pretty good.  BUT...I didn't like this and I added a little of that and made the recipe my own.  


Now, we make it every Fall and it has become my most requested recipe from friends and family.  Every birthday, preschool party, teacher gift and open house since, has included this family favorite and, in his eyes, it is a FAMILY TRADITION!  So, from our home to yours, we share the beloved "pumpkin bread" recipe and hope it brings you full tummies and happy hearts.


Happy Thanksgiving from the Walls!!


Pumpkin Bread
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 cups molasses
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two loaf pans.  


In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, sugar and eggs.  Beat with mixers on medium speed until creamy.  Add the pumpkin puree and molasses and continue beating until thoroughly mixed.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, beating on low speed until incorporated.  Do not over mix the batter.  Pour batter into the greased and floured loaf pans, dividing batter evenly between the two pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of bread comes out clean.

Holiday Cooking Classes

Holiday Cooking Classes Return

Even though it’s a busy time of year, packed with school, sports, and various activities, the holidays are a wonderful time to come together as a family.  When we take time to enjoy family traditions, we build lasting memories for our children.  Many of those memories take place in the kitchen or around the table, from making grandma’s cornbread dressing to the annual cookie decorating weekend with dad. 

Consider encouraging these moments by developing culinary skills in your children.  “Growing Gourmets” is offering 3 opportunities for your kids to gain skills in the kitchen and discover recipes that may just start a new tradition in your family!

Tricky Treats (next Saturday)

October 31; 10:00 am-12:00 pm           $20.00

(6-12 year olds)

Wear your costumes to our monster mash where we will brew up a new batch of spooky treats!  A favorite class, this year we meet on Halloween morning!!  We will start with a cauldron full of punch, cheese ball spiders and yummy mummy dogs.  But it wouldn’t be Halloween without the sweets, so we will finish with candy corn pie and caramel apples.   Your child is sure to have a howlin’ good time at this Halloween bash.

Let’s Give Thanks!

November 21; 10:00 am-12:00 pm        $20.00

(6-12 year olds)

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without the whole family gathered around the table to enjoy family recipes passed down from generations.  This year your child will be able to add his own creation to the table when he learns how to bake traditional holiday dishes.  He will have such fun making edible cornucopias and turkeys and trying out recipes for caramel apple crunch pie, sweet potato mousse and homemade crispy cheese crackers. 

Visions of Sugarplums

December 12; 10:00 am-12:00 pm         $20.00

(6-12 year olds)

Does your child have visions of sugarplums dancing in her head?  She will after taking this sweet-filled class where holiday baking and candy-making take center stage.  Last year’s class was SO MUCH FUN for the kids and I had a blast too!!  Each child will make marshmallow pops, homemade candies and of course decorate sugar cookies to take home in a holiday tin.

"Not very healthy but terribly delicious" Homemade Donuts

Yummy chocolate glazed donuts made from biscuits.

This is such a fun recipe to do with kids but I have 2 warnings.  First, donuts are never the healthiest breakfast but wonderful for a special occasion or lazy Saturday morning.  Second, this recipe involves deep frying so you have to be extremely careful with hot oil when kids are around.  In my cooking classes I am very careful to keep the kids at a safe distance from the hot oil since it can pop as you put in the dough.  As the instructor, I always do all the frying and stove top cooking myself as they observe.


Having said that, every person (child or adult) who tries these donuts seems to grab the counter after the first bite (to keep from falling over).  They are that good.  Be sure and try some with powdered sugar, some with cinnamon sugar and dip a few in the vanilla and chocolate glazes (recipes follow) but be quick, if you look away for too long, they will disappear!

"Not very healthy but terribly delicious" Homemade Donuts

2 cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Canola oil, for frying 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

Icings:

2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided

5 tablespoons milk, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Colored sprinkles

Chocolate sprinkles

Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. In a shallow bowl, stir together the ground cinnamon and sugar and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, set aside. This is the vanilla icing. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of milk and set aside. This is the chocolate icing.

Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board and with a 1/4 to 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter (or any small circle you can find), cut out a hole from the middle of each biscuit. Fry them in the oil until just golden and then flip with tongs to fry the other side. Be careful not to cook them to long. You can even fry the donut holes. Drain on paper towels and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar or ice and decorate with sprinkles, as desired.

Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

Tomato Basil Soup

As promised, here is a delicious recipe for tomato basil soup. I think this version is mild enough for the whole family to enjoy. You can always use less basil for an even milder flavor, if the basil is too intense for little ones. Our family loves the soup. I serve it with a big caesar salad and french bread. It's a perfect fall meal. I hope you all enjoy.

Tomato Basil Soup

l large can crushed tomatos

4 cups tomato juice

1 stick butter

15 leaves of fresh basil

1 cup cream (or half & half for a lighter version)

Puree tomatos in a food processor or blender. If you like a thicker soup, adjust accordingly. Add the basil leaves to the tomato puree and pulse again until basil is in minced. Pour this tomato mixture into a large stock pot. Add the tomato juice and butter and simmer over low heat for half an hour. Remove from heat and slowly add the cream (or half & half). Stir and return to low heat until heated through. Remove from heat and serve in bowls or cups with bread and salad.