Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

Christian made these cookies last night.

I love oatmeal cookies and I have tried countless recipes over the years with limited results. Somehow they'd never taste as good as the ones bought at trade shows or county fairs. But if those families had great recipes to follow, surely I could find one too.

Cookies are a part of our diet and they can be part of your diet too. If you're overweight and you love cookies, they don't need to be your downfall. They are a DESSERT and if you treat them like a DESSERT, cookies will always know their place.

As far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as a "healthy" cookie. The only cookies that exist are "dessert" cookies. If you try to convince yourself that a cookie is healthy, you won't have just one, you'll have 10 "because they're healthy". But reminding yourself that cookies are DESSERTS, you won't be tempted to overdo it. Having one with your afternoon coffee is ok. Having 5 is criminal activity and a major set-back to reaching your weight-loss goal. 

My oldest will be 9 in March and lately he's been in charge of making the cookies on the weekend. I help him read the recipe and I crack the eggs but otherwise I limit my hovering and let him do the measuring and stirring. Last night we tried yet another oatmeal cookie recipe and * wait for it * it might actually be a keeper. In other words, we'll make them again and this is major progress in the search for The Perfect Homemade Oatmeal Cookie.

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies  (Darlene Kronschnabel, Cookie Cookbook, Wisconsin 1977, p.6)
Mix together;
1 c butter
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
In another bowl, mix together;
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Add flour mixture to butter mixture then stir in;
1/2 c milk
Once that is combined, add;
2 c uncooked rolled oats
2 c raisins
Stir to combine. Bake at 375F for 11 mins. 

Old-fashioned oatmeal cookies with a few missing....

Pizza your way

Homemade pizza means you control the calories

Pizza is a big deal in our house. It's on the menu every Sunday night and has been for years. I used to buy some of the popular store brand pizzas when they were on sale, but when I'd bake them up and see all the oil on the surface and taste all the salt, I really questioned whether I was doing myself or my family any favours by serving it. Sure homemade pizza is more work, it's probably one of the more involved meals you make during the week, but when you think about the control you have over the ingredients, it's a classic case where the pros (health benefits) far outweigh the cons (time it takes to prepare).  You're in control of the calories and in the 'big picture' approach to your new habits for a healthy weight and healthy lifestyle, this goes a long way. Health is not about sacrificing and self-denial, it's about being smart; cooking smart and eating smart. 

This is the pizza I made last night. It has "no vegetables" on the kids' half, orange and yellow peppers on our half and hot hot hot peppers on my section. Made to order. Which is a lot easier than picking off the toppings the kids don't like from the store bought pizzas.

Pizza making tips

• make your own dough. Switch some of the all purpose flour for whole wheat (no more than 1/2 cup) and add some oregano. You'll have a crust way better than any you can buy.
• use your favourite pasta sauce with vegetables instead of pizza sauce. They boys throw a fit if they think there are any vegetables on their pizza. By using pasta sauce with the chunks of tomato and carrot in it, they have no idea there are veggies lurking under the pepperoni and cheeses
• buy skim milk (or light) mozzarella cheese, NOT the mozzarella cheese that's marked 'For Pizza'. The 'For Pizza' cheese is much higher in fat and adds nothing but calories so choose the light cheese instead
• store the mozzarella cheese in the freezer and defrost it when it's time to make the pizza. The lower fat content in the cheese makes is very easy to crumble when it's been frozen. This is a big time-saver because instead of grating the cheese, all you have to do is rub 2 chunks of it together and it falls apart into little beads. Super easy to spread.
• be smart when you choose your toppings. Orange peppers, yellow peppers, green onions, anything goes. If you're using mushrooms, cook them in the microwave first to get rid of the moisture, then put the cooked mushrooms on the pizza. Zucchini is the most gutless vegetable out there, it has absolutely no flavour so adding slices of it to your toppings doesn't ruin your pizza but it does give it more vitamins.
• slice the pepperoni THIN and if you like, cut each slice in 1/2 (so they look like 1/2 a circle). Spread them over the pizza but not so they're touching. The pepperoni is adding flavour and you don't need a lot of it.
• cover the entire pizza with fresh ground black pepper. It adds a really nice twist.

So when you're doing your grocery shopping this week, plan ahead and pick up a few extra things so you can make pizza on the weekend. I guarantee it will turn into a family tradition.

Bran muffins

Elaine's bran muffins; healthy and amazing

I've always loved bran muffins for the molasses. There's something about that added flavour that makes bran muffins my #1 choice every time. 

If you're a muffin lover as well, don't be fooled by some of the products prepackaged in the grocery store. Many are way too sweet and way to full of fat to make them still qualify as muffins. You may think you've chosen a healthy snack to take to work but that little calorie bomb may be worse than a piece of cake with icing. 

Making muffins yourself isn't a ton of work. All you need is a fork, 2 bowls, the muffin papers and the pan. When you find a recipe you like it's easy to double it, throw the extras in the freezer and have a supply of great snacks to get you through the week. And choosing a muffin to have at night is much smarter than going for the container of ice cream and the chocolate syrup.

I believe in healthy but I also believe in flavour. Recipes that use all whole wheat flour or that have very little sugar in them and very little fat end up tasting awful in my opinion. This recipe is a modification of Jane Brody's Best-of-Bran Muffins (New York, 1985. p.596). The first time I made them, I followed her instructions faithfully and the results were pretty darn bad. If you want to look up the original, you can, but here is her recipe with enough modifications for me to almost call it my own;

Bran muffins
In a large bowl, combine
3 c shredded bran cereal (All-Bran, Fibre First, etc)
1/2 c vegetable oil (use your Becel)
1 c raisins
1 c boiling water

In another bowl, combine
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 c white sugar
2 1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt

Now that the cereal mixture has cooled down a bit, use a fork to stir in
2 eggs
2 c buttermilk (I use vinegar + milk rather than buy buttermilk itself)
1/4 c molasses

Add the flour mixture to the cereal mixture, stir to combine. Heat the oven to 400F and get the pans ready. I like large muffins so I fill the papers to the top. Bake for 20 to 25 mins. Check at 20 mins, you want the muffins moist rather than dry. I hope you like them!