Let them eat Cupcakes!!! Part 1

Baby Yum is turning 1! I can't believe it! It seems only yesterday that the swollen ankles (read: swollen EVERYTHING) and waddling around all became worth while. Now I've got a teething, walking toddler to chase in addition to her older sister, Little Red. And Party Planning is in the air!!! If you've been following this blog, you know that us Yummers know how to throw a party! Not all of us Yummers are big on themes for these shindigs, but I am. I LOVE to plan, and themes just help tie everything together. It makes it easier to justify the purchase of a new chip and dip bowl for the party if it's the shape of a Cowboy hat! But I think for Baby Yum's party we will be focusing on Cupcakes. (Mostly because I found a T-shirt and Bib set featuring Cupcakes.) I've got banners and party favors in the works, but I'm supposed to be eating healthier. What to do about the cake? So begins my research towards Cupcakes, cakes in general and what's in them.

I won't turn over all my findings here, but I will just say there is way too much sugar in every cake recipe I have found!!! Ick! I have a sweet tooth like the next person, but one recipe I found had more sugar in it than flour. I repeat my earlier statement: Ick! There has got to be some better alternatives. Firstly I tried cutting the sugar content. (the kids at Music Makers are gonna love me come Thursday-they're gonna be my guinea pigs!) Then I tried Agave. Sugar in a recipe is technically considered a "wet ingredient", so Agave nectar in it's liquid form is not a bad idea. Honey is also an idea to replace the white sugars, but it's taste may stand in the way. Brown sugar is NOT an option. Most brown sugars purchased today are refined sugar in disguise. I won't bore you with the details of sugar processing, but basically the brown sugar purchased in the store it white sugar with a little molasses added to it to make it brown and slightly sticky.(which is not how it was originally made)

Also experimenting: making your own powdered sugar for icings. Basic powdered sugar is mostly sugar ground into a powder via a food processor with a little cornstarch added to keep the sugar from liquifying during the grinding. Simple, except I really don't want to have to break down and use refined sugar. I don't think any of my previously used sugar replacement methods will work for icing, so we're going to try raw sugar.
No recipe this time, but many will soon follow! I've got 3 weeks till Party Time! Let's get baking!!!

Flap your Jack!

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I must ask for your forgiveness and patience with me. The Yummers household is in the process of a move. Although we are not moving far, it has created turmoil in my kitchen! Most of my things are packed away, including my recipe book and most of my equipment. Any new recipes that come out of this will be completely pulled out of thin air. I usually won't pass on a recipe unless I have tried and tested it first, but even that is becoming increasingly difficult.
Here are somethings that you can expect to show up on here in the next few months:

*Stews and soups
* anything that can be made in a cast iron frying pan or crock pot
* anything not requiring a stand mixer
* Due to the summer heat, anything NOT requiring my oven to be on for any length of time

In the meantime here is a tried and true recipe that I would never forget. It has made an appearance on facebook, but I still wanted it here for the archives and for those who missed it.

I never understood why pancakes were ever called "Flap Jacks". Every time I hear that phrase i think of some grizzled old prospector with no teeth. His name would have been Jack, of course. But where on earth did they get the "Flap" part? Oh well, I suppose it shall be a quandary for the ages.....or at least for me. One day i might go look it up, but then again I'm sure I could make up something far more interesting. So for future reference, if you should happen to look it up on Wikipedea and you find some random story about a miner from the gold rush named Jack who was famous for his flappers, you'll know where it came from.


I could live off of pancakes. Last Christmas I asked for (and got) a griddle. I LOVE THAT SUCKER!!! My freezer is never without pancakes or waffles that can easily be thrown into the toaster for a quick breakfast. However I also started reading my labels and became appalled at the things they put into various pancake mixes. Now, I already have an absolutely amazing pancake recipe, but it requires quite a bit more effort and time versus an instant mix. I'm also in the process of moving, so my stand mixer and that recipe book are stored away. Solution: Breathe, and turn on the stove!

Instant Pancake Mix

6 cups flour (organic whole wheat, of course!)
1 tsp salt
2tbs baking powder
1tbs baking soda

Mix and store in airtight container in the fridge up to 6 months

To make pancakes:

 mix 1 cup mix, 1 egg, 3/4 cup milk, and 1-2 teaspoons agave nectar (or to taste)

whisk batter till lumps almost disappear, let batter rest for at least 5 minutes, then pour onto 350 degree griddle by 1/4 cup fulls. serve with your favorite berries and homemade whipped cream!

This recipe can also be used to make waffles. Just grease the waffle iron well, to make up for the lack of oil in the recipe.

Velveeta who?

I'm a southern girl so this was bound to make it to the blog. Mac and Cheese is a staple for every family gathering. No matter the occasion, there had better be mac and cheese and you'd better not get the corners! (Those are reserved for the uncles.) It is something I made for myself when I was feeling desperately homesick while living in the western mountains. And it has contributed several pounds to my "Brunson Spread." Needless to say I have had a ROYAL craving for it recently ( No I'm not expecting!). However it's August in the south, and I really would like my kitchen to stay as cool as possible. Oh Yeah, and I want it to be healthier, blah, blah, blah....... After calling my mom to make sure i had the basics down for the baking method, I turned to my stove top. What came out was pretty darn tasty, and a good substitute for the baked version. In fact, Little Red (my 3 year old daughter) actually ate it! That's saying something cause unless it's chicken fingers or yogurt, she won't go anywhere near it.

This version may seem a little wierd to you, but trust me it's scrumptious! Now the baked version requires pre-boiling your noodles, but I really don't want to mess up any more dishes than I have to. Soooooo....... How about we use the milk to boil those noodles? Since I use fat free milk, it's mostly water anyways, right? And I'm outta eggs, but we really don't need those either, do we? And Little Red only likes the twirly noodles. Yeah. We can make this work!

Stove-top Mac and Cheese

2c. Whole wheat noodles
2c. fat free milk
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
garlic
1c. grated cheddar
1 slice swiss cheese

*Throw everything except the cheeses into a saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer. Don't get too hot too quickly or your milk will curdle.
* Once simmer is reached turn stove down to low and stir at least every 60 seconds to keep noodles from sticking together, for at least 15 minutes.
*If needed add 1/4 cup more milk and continue to simmer and stir an additional 5 minutes or until noodles reach desired tenderness.
* Remove from heat and add cheddar. Stir until evenly distributed. Place slice of swiss on top and cover pan. Leave for 5 minutes.
*Once swiss has melted you can either: 1. use a mini butane burner to brown up the swiss for a "crust" or 2. stir it into the rest of your mac and cheese to give it an extra kick. (should your pan be rated for oven use you can throw it under the broiler to achieve crust-like topping)

The results are astounding and completely relieve all cheeseiness-type cravings!

Healthiness: Since you are using fat free milk, whole wheat pasta, no butter, and very little cheese you are saving yourself gobs of fat and oil you don't need.

Reminder: Don't forget to use organic, and research the places your cheese and animal products come from!