Best Part of Summer...Jam!

I thought this blog needed a sunnier, brighter, yummier post after the last couple.  Now I know that those of you following me to keep up with the girls (or eosinophilic disease in general) are probably waiting for an update on Chloe's recent hospitalization, but it's time to throw my recipe followers a bone!  It all ties in anyway.  On days when everyone was feeling well several weeks back, we went cherry picking at local orchards, which I mentioned at the end of this post.  We picked buckets full of red and yellow sweet cherries.  Some we ate fresh, some became beautiful sweet cherry pies, some were transformed into bubbly warm cherry crisp.  And some, perhaps my favorites, were put up as jar after jar of cherry jam.  We made small 4 ounce jars as thank you gifts for Cassidy's teachers and other special school staff.  We made basic cherry jam, some of which we shared with friends.  Then, in an effort to use up some other fruit before it was past it's prime, I whipped up a batch of spiced cherry grapefruit jam.  And it is nothing short of amazing.



I thought it would be nice to share my cherry jam recipes with you today.  For those of you new to canning, I'll go through the process that I use step by step.  The purpose of processing jam in a boiling water bath canner is to make it shelf stable, meaning that you can store it safely in the pantry rather than the refrigerator for at least a year.  If you would rather just keep your jam in the fridge, skip the processing step, and once the jam is ready, just fill the jars with it and pop them in the refrigerator where they will keep for at least 3 months (if it lasts that long!)

If you do decide to process the jam and the whole thing is brand new to you, you do not need to invest in tons of fancy equipment.  You can process the jars in any stock pot (with a lid) large enough to cover the jars with at least one inch of boiling water.  A large stock pot is generally large enough to accommodate standard jelly jars.  You will need something to keep the jars from resting directly on the bottom of the pot.  You can simply fold up a dishtowel and place it in the bottom.  Finally, you will need a way to get the hot jars out when they are finished processing.  So to recap, stock pot, dishtowel, tongs, canning jars.  You probably have everything except the jars, which you can buy in cases of 12 for around $12 at big box stores, kitchen supply stores and many grocery store, especially during the spring and summer.

Accessory Set

Canner with jar rack

If you decide you want to go ahead and jump in to canning, spend a little cash and just buy a canning starter kit.  You can buy the canner with jar rack and accessory set (everything you need except the jars) for about $40.  There are also a variety of options out there in a variety of price ranges, such as the accessory set only (this includes a jar lifter, a lid lifter, wide mouth funnel and a few other things, and is very helpful) for around $10-$15, and I believe the Ball company makes a home canning "Discovery Kit" made to use with a stock pot, which includes a silicone lift out jar rack.  So there are a variety of options in a variety of price ranges depending on your comfort level and what you are willing to spend.  I can a great deal, so I have a big canner and an accessory set.  But the equipment that I have, while good quality, is basic and without bells and whistles so to speak.  I prefer it that way, and it works just fine.


 First, my disclaimer: I have attempted to share safe preserving methods. However, I make no promises. You alone are responsible for your health. Be aware of current safety recommendations. There is a wealth of information from licensed sources about current canning standards available for free on the internet. This is the way that I can for myself and my family. You alone are responsible for your health!

Let's get started!

 1. Wash the jars and lids.  I put my jars in the canner while the water is heating to boil, to make sure they are sterile.  The lids are made up of a ring and a flat lid piece.  Set the rings aside and put the flat lids in a small sauce pan with water.  These you need to warm to just below a simmer, over really low heat.  Do not boil them!  This primes the sealing compound around the edges.






2. Fill the canner or stock pot with enough water to cover the tops of the jars by 1 inch once they are full, and put it on the stove to boil.  This is when I stick my clean, empty jars in, but if you have washed the jars, I feel that this step is probably optional for jam.


 Now for the jam! Because Cassidy is allergic to apples and most commercial pectin is from apple peels, this is a pectin free jam recipe.

You will need:

Sweet Cherry Jam

5 cups of washed, pitted sweet cherries
3 cups of sugar
2 lemons

1. Cut the cherries in half or quarters or both, whatever you prefer.  Toss them into a non-aluminum pot with the juice and zest of the lemons.

2. Cook over medium low heat stirring frequently until they simmer and soften. Put a small plate in the freezer, you will use this to test for jelling shortly.

3. Turn up the heat to medium high and add 3 cups of sugar; stir until evenly mixed.  Keep stirring frequently so that it doesn't burn on the bottom.  Keep this up until the jam starts to thicken.




4. Once it looks like the jam is thickening up and starting to gel, you can do a plate test.  Grab that frozen plate from the freezer and spoon a little jam onto it.  Stick it back in the freezer for a few minutes.  Make sure you keep stirring the jam while you wait, since it is cooking quickly and at a higher temperature at this point.  You don't want to burn it!

5. When you take the plate out again, push your finger slowly through the cooling puddle of jam.  If it wrinkles up across the surface when your finger pushes into it, turn off the burner!  It's ready to go into the jars.  If not, continue to cook and stir for a little longer, then test again.  Be careful not to leave it unattended, or it can overcook quickly.  If that happens it won't taste as good.

 ***If you are making refrigerator jam, you can just fill jars with the hot jam, put lids on them and pop them in the fridge, where they will stay good for 3 months, probably even longer if they last that long!  If you want the jam to be shelf stable, go on to the next step.***



6. When the jam is ready, ladle it into the hot, empty jars (remove them from the boiling water and empty the jars, but leave the water in the pot, on the stove and boiling for processing!).  Fill them to 1/4 inch from the top. The wide mouth funnel comes in handy here if you have it!

7. With a clean, damp cloth, carefully wipe the rim of the filled jars so there is no jam or residue on them. 

8. Adjust the 2 piece canning lids, which have been prepping in hot water.












9. Put the jars on the canning rack and slowly lower them into the water. The water should cover the lids by an inch or two. Put the lid on the pot.

10.Once the water has come to a full boil again, set a timer and process the jars for 10 minutes.

11. After 10 minutes, turn off the burner and carefully lift the jar rack up.  Transfer the jars to a spot where they won't be disturbed, I put them on a towel along the back of the kitchen counter.  Let them cool completely, which may take overnight.

It's a good idea to label the jars with the date and contents.  You can use cute labels, or just write on the top of the lid with sharpie.  The lids are not reusable for canning anyway.

For more information on safety in food preservation, please go to The National Center for Home Food Preservation.


For Spiced Cherry Grapefruit jam, omit the lemon, but add the juice and pulp of 2 grapefruit, and the zest from just one of the grapefruit.  Also stir in 2 teaspoons of cinnamon while the jam is simmering.  The rest of the process is the same.

You could probably substitute most fruits for the cherries in this recipe.  Higher pectin fruits, like blueberries, will result in a thicker jam than low pectin fruits like strawberries.

Why I Grow Mint

If you clicked on over here looking for an herb gardening post, I should tell you now that you are barking up the wrong tree.  This post is more along the lines of this one, from about 4 months ago. It deals with the trials and mayhem of hands on parenting, but not so much in a typical day to day way.  This is a glimpse into what it can be like when it just hits the fan, and all you can do is keep everyone's head above water until the storm blows over.  Sound a bit dramatic?  I wish it was!  The bottom line is that we had a RIDICULOUS week or two, but it seems we all survived. In fact, we pretty well made up for it with a super couple of weeks after mayhem descended upon us for what seems to have become it's routine quarterly visit.  But I'll get to that in my next post, which I'll probably start writing tomorrow afternoon while I wait for the results from Chloe's most recent set of  biopsies.

At this point, as before, I'll tell you that if you just dropped by from Pinterest or a Google search to get the drink recipes, scroll down until you come to the pictures of drinks.  If you are interested in why I'm making good use of my favorite cocktail shaker, read on!

So it all started the weekend before Memorial Day weekend.  The weather has been great so far this spring, and the garden is thriving.  The kids love to be outside, so we have been spending most of our time in the fresh air and sunshine.  You may be wondering how a post can start out "mayhem descended upon us", then move on to gardening with kids.  Seems bizarre, right?  This is where we get to the string of stuff I couldn't make up if I tried.  Let me set the stage.  It's Thursday afternoon.  Mark has been at work all day, and River, the twins and I made the most of the beautiful weather, and after school Cassidy joined us in the yard.  I was weeding the butterfly garden, and the kids were sitting around a patch of dirt, digging a garden of their own.  The dog was stretched out enjoying the shade. Birds were singing, the breeze was gentle.  Ah, zen.  Suddenly the peaceful atmosphere was pierced by crying.  Frankly, with 4 kids, ages of 3, 5, 5 and 7, that's not unusual, but you still have to investigate.  Quinn's shovel got caught on a tree root, and accidentally flipped some dirt up and out when it popped free.  That would normally be no biggie, except that the dirt flew up into Chloe's face, and her eyes.  Also not really unusual, her eyes were watering and she wasn't especially happy, but she really just seemed to want a popsicle and a hug, so we moved on with the day.

 An hour later, here left eye was still watering and she complained of blurred vision. Yikes!  In the tub, I rinsed it well with water, but it didn't help.  I'll skip ahead a bit.
The point is that this particular dirt-in-the-face incident resulted in this ------------>

That's what your kid looks like at the emergency room with a corneal abrasion.  Usually a little dirt in the eye just gets washed out by the eye watering or a clear water eye wash.  But sometimes that dirt actually scratches the cornea.  In Chloe's case, she also had a tiny piece of dirt stuck to her eye, which had to be swabbed out (very fast, but still a cotton swab across the eyeball.  Not fun!) The debris was causing the blurred vision, so she came home seeing clearly and is fine now.  Late night, but what can you do other than shrug it off and offer the kid a nap the next day.




Friday, Cassidy went to school and the twins headed off to preschool happily,  Chloe's eyes was still feeling irritated, but she begged to go and it's only a couple of hours.  Smooth sailing. River and I picked up some ferns for the fairy garden we created for the munchkins while the twins were at preschool, then we all had lunch and eventually picked Cassidy up after school.  Chloe fell asleep in the car on the way home from getting Cassidy, no big surprise since we were at the E.R. until 11:30 the night before.  While she slept on the couch, the rest of the kids (and the dog) joined me out back to finish gardening.  Seems we would have learned our lesson the day before, but apparently not.  I was getting the new fern planted, easy peasy.  3 or 4 yards away, Cassidy, Quinn and River grabbed shovels and headed back to their own little garden patch that they had started digging in the day before. River and Quinn sat on the ground with trowels, and Cassidy grabbed her kid sized metal ditch digging shovel from the shed.  River and Quinn were discussing what seeds they needed, and Cassidy alternated between digging a hole and tossing a ball for the dog.  Again with the birds and the breeze.  I should have known from the peaceful feeling that trouble was looming.  With Cassidy and Quinn sitting on either side of her, Cassidy turned and threw the ball for Billie Dog.  Shovel still in hand, she spun back around to rejoin the conversation and smacked Quinn, hard, in the head with the metal shovel.


It was completely an accident, but it knocked him back none the less, and after a stunned pause, he cried with a specific pitch that I haven't heard since he broke his arm when he was 3.  Cassidy was horrified, but she called me over (I was already on the way) and ran inside to grab an ice pack and a towel.  Despite the accident, I have to say I was proud of her 7 year old crisis management skills.

After 10-15 minutes, Quinn was wobbly on his feet, nauseous, and his head looked like this
<---------

Nasty, huh?

A big ol' goose egg doesn't ruffle my feathers, but nausea and dizziness do, so we went to the ER.  Again.  Little Hippie had a concussion, but after 4 hours of being observed by the doctors and nurses, he was finally able to keep graham crackers down so we got to come home.



Fast forward to the next morning.  Cassidy was sort of moping around, I thought she felt guilty about the shovel incident.  Quinn woke up a little later than usual, no big surprise.  He headed into the kitchen for his milk cup (in the fridge), and (yikes!) couldn't open the refrigerator door because it hurt his little neck too much! Crap. The discharge papers from the night before specifically listed, among the list of symptoms that should send you back to the E.R., pronounced neck pain or stiffness.  Upon further inspection, Quinn has limited range of motion and can't turn his head certain ways.  I call, and the triage nurse told me to bring him back in (it's Saturday, so the doctor's office was closed).  That's when this  --------->
picture was taken. Major suckage.  The neck brace was on for a few hours while xrays were taken and read to confirm no fracture or anything serious.  Bottom line at the end of the day was that he also had a sprained neck from the shovel incident.  He was stiff and sore for several days, but is fine now.


By the time we got home from the Emergency Room Saturday afternoon, Cassidy was running a 102 degree fever, and complaining of a very sore throat. Deep breath, continue through the day.  3 Emergency Room visits in 3 days plus a kid with a high fever, Mommy is tired.  Motrin for Cassidy's fever, Quinn's neck/headache and Mommy's headache.  Popsicles for everyone. No more gardening this weekend, that's for sure!  Everyone, including me, went to bed early Saturday night.  Which was good since, as many parents know, fevers seem to go up at night.  2am brought Cassidy 104 degrees, Motrin brought her down to about 101.  For her, this went on through the day Sunday, and her sore throat worsened.  Sometimes it can be tricky to consider that as a symptom for her given the disease process in her esophagus, but with the high fever, I kept her on the motrin and on Monday took her to the doctor.  She had a raging case of strep throat, so after an xray to rule out pneumonia (she had decreased air flow in one lung, but the xrays were clear and by the next day it was fine), we went home with 10 days worth of amoxacillin.

By Wednesday she was starting to feel better, so I thought I'd give her one more day so we were a full 24 hours fever free, and then let her go back to school on Friday.  I mean, at this point, things actually seemed to be on the verge of slowing down.  Chloe's eye felt much better and Quinn could turn his head.  The bruise on his forehead was by now a greenish blue, ghoulish, but healing nicely. Thursday, Cassidy started to complain that her mouth felt itchy, but between the EoE and strep, i just made a casual mental note of it and moved on.  With her evening dose of amoxacillin, the itching got worse.  In fact, within 30 minutes of taking the medication, her mouth and tongue were not the only itchy spots, her feet started to itch next, and then she was scratching all over.  She also complained that she felt like she had been holding her breath.  Thankfully she did not have visible trouble breathing, but she had tightness in her chest and was clammy and dizzy.  It's not uncommon to have an amoxacillin or penicillin allergy pop up a few days into the treatment, which was exactly what had happened to Cassidy.  Quinn is also allergic to amoxacillin and penicillin, and it popped up on day 4 with him the 2nd time he had it for an ear infection.  He had head to toe hives as well.  So Cassidy can now add this to her list of allergies.  Fortunately there are plenty of other antibiotics available, so she was switched to a different one and headed back to school the following Tuesday (Monday school was closed for Memorial Day.

During the holiday weekend, Billie Dog started limping slightly, especially after resting, but it was mild enough that at first we couldn't even figure out which leg she was favoring.  She seemed to walk it off pretty fast once she was up and moving around for a few minutes and still ran in the yard easily, so we just kept and eye on it.  Then a lump developed on the top of one of her front paws.  As the week prgressed, it got worse, not better.  After a good romp in the yard on Thursday, she napped and then got up and hobbled around on 3 legs, and the lump on her paw was bigger.




Friday at the vet ended like this
<-----------------------

Xrays showed some old, fractures, in various states of healing, to her seisamoid bones that we never even knew about, but  according to the radiology reports that followed the swelling had to be a soft tissue injury, such as a sprain, because it was not at the same location as the old fractures.  Maybe because she has some rottweiler in her, but we don't really know why for sure, the sweet girl just doesn't react much to pain. She tends to just keep going.  Which on one hand I suppose is good if it means it doesn't bother her too much.  On the other hand, she must have something pretty nasty going on in there to leave her limping like that.







What does all of this have to do with growing mint?  Oh, that's easy!  You can't make a mojito without it.  And in the sunny weather, few things float my boat at the end of the day (or at the end of a few weeks like these) like the combination of mint, lime and rum.  I prefer mine without the pesky addition of lemon lime soda or sparkling water.  Here is my recipe for a Mojito Martini, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  Please try to do so in moderation, these suckers can really sneak up on you!


Mojito Martini

In a cocktail shaker half full of ice, combine the following:

2 ounces lime rum (I use Parrot Bay key lime rum)
2 ounces fresh lime juice (don't bother with bottled, trust me on this)
a slight dash of dry vermouth
a half dozen or so fresh mint leaves
1 tsp. sugar (super fine if you have it)

Shake hard, to make sure you dissolve the sugar and bruise those mint leaves.  Strain into a glass, over ice if desired.



Mmmmm...delicious.  Now isn't that a great reason to grow mint?  Too bad I don't have my own lime tree!  As always, I'd love to hear your comments if you try this one out!

Enjoy!

Enchiladas and Margaritas, please!

Spring is in full swing in this unusually warm year, and we have had plenty of days of what we refer to as great deck weather.  Afternoons and evenings when you just want to hang out on the deck and relax!  The kids and the dog wear themselves out playing in the yard, and we like to keep an eye on them while we work in the garden. After we bring them in and stick them in the tub to clean off after all of the good old fashioned fun, we are all ready for a relaxing dinner, after which the hubby and I like to get them all tucked into bed and then go enjoy a cocktail on...you guessed it...the deck.

Days like this, a simple and delicious dinner really hits the spot, and since it is beautiful outside but not yet super hot, we don't have to worry making the whole house sweat by turning on the oven.  Once the days and evenings really heat up, it's grill season, but in the spring (or really any time, to be honest), my favorite dinner is enchiladas.  They have to be made from scratch, I'm not really a fan of canned enchilada sauce.  Also, they have to be paired with one of 2 perfect drinks.  Mexican beer or margaritas.

I've been promising my enchilada recipe to my friend Tricia, or more specifically to her husband Amos, and (as usual) they have been very patient as life with 4 active small children and the unknown perils of gardening with the kids (yes, I said perils of gardening, but I'll save THAT set of stories for my next post, which will definitely contain another strong drink recipe) have delayed things time and again.  I hope that now that I have found the time to sit down and finish this post, which I started almost 2 weeks ago, they will find the time to enjoy it soon!

Enchilada sauce is easy to make, and while there are lengthy, multi-step recipes, mine is pretty fast and easy and I love it.  If I didn't, I wouldn't be sharing it here!  Once you get the sauce made (it's only a 10 minute recipe), throwing together the rest of the enchiladas is a snap as well.  I do add cheese to mine, but when I assemble Cassidy's I just leave the cheese out, which makes it a filling and satisfying allergy friendly recipe.  Here's what you need:


Enchilada Sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup chili powder
8 oz tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp onion powder
1-2 tsp salt, or to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, then stir in the flour and chili powder. Stirring constantly, cook until lightly brown.
Stir in tomato sauce.
Gradually stir in water, cumin, garlic, onion powder and salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly.

I usually pour this into a glass measuring cup and set it aside so that I can use the skillet for the next step, no need to wash it first!  Of course, you could always just use a second skillet.

Enchilada Filling

1 pound of ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce that you just made
black pepper to taste

You will also need enchilada shells (Traditionally enchiladas are made using soft corn tortillas for the shells, but you could also use taco size soft flour tortillas) and green onions.




 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, along with the onion and pepper.  Stir in the enchilada sauce and black pepper. Turn off the heat.

In a 9 x 13 glass pan, spread about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan. If you are using cheese (shredded sharp cheddar is best!) add some to an enchilada shell. If dairy is a concern for you, rest assured that these are very satisfying and filling with or without cheese. Scoop some filling into the shell.  Wrap closed and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat until you have run out of shells or space in the pan. If you are lucky, you run out of both at the same time!  
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the top and top with more cheese (if you are using cheese, of course!) 
Finally, top with sliced green onions.
Pop into the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, and you are all set!

 Something to drink with that?

Strawberry Margaritas (or slushies, for kids and non-drinkers!)


3 cups of strawberries, washed and stems removed
2 cups of ice
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup triple sec
lime wedges and/or strawberries for garnish


Toss it all in the blender and whirl away.  Some people prefer sugar also added to these, but that makes it too sweet for me.


If you would rather have a non-alcoholic slushy, leave out the tequila and triple sec and add 1/2  cup of orange juice.


Hope you enjoy!





 

Bagels Every Sunday

In our family, Sunday is the ONLY day that NONE of us have work, school, activities or anything else.  It is our official family day, and we are pretty stingy with it.  Most Sundays we spend at home just enjoying not having to go anywhere.  Depending on the weather and season, sometimes we garden (while the kids play outside or help, their choice), sometimes we spend the afternoon canning stuff from the garden, sometimes we do crafty stuff, sometimes we sit around all day and don't do a darn thing. 

Regardless of what we spend the bulk of the day doing, I almost always make fresh bagels. While it is a 2 step process, they are not difficult, and they are easy to make without any of Cassidy's allergens. Since they also freeze well I've started making 2 batches so we have a couple of different flavors, although by Tuesday we have yet to have any left over to freeze!  As far as Mark and I, our current favorite is jalapeno cheddar, but we like them pretty spicy, so the only kid that will eat them is River.  I'm on the last jar of jalapenos that we canned last summer, though, so in another week or two I'll have to try something new.  As for the minions, they really like fruit bagels. Sometimes we make cinnamon raisin, and 2 weeks ago we had fresh blueberries so we used those which they loved.  But the current favorite is cherry vanilla.  Someone told me that Panera has a cherry vanilla bagel, but I have never had one so I don't know how my recipe compares.  Regardless, I'd love to know what you think if you try any of my bagel recipes!

Please note that while I really don't care for instant yeast for making bread, I do use it in my bagel recipes.  ALWAYS make sure you are using the kind of yeast that a recipe calls for, or things will usually not turn out as planned :)

Let's start with one for the kiddos, just scroll down for the jalapeno cheddar variation.

Cherry Vanilla Bagels (dairy, egg and nut free!)
yield: 8 bagels

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tsps instant yeast
about 1/2 cup of dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1-1/4 cups of warm water

Dump everything into a mixing bowl and combine until it all comes together to form a stiff dough.  If it is too sticky, add a little flour, or if it is so stiff that you cannot get all of the flour mixed in, add a little more water. 
Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead for 10 minutes or so until it is smooth and uniform in texture.
Divide dough into 8 even dough balls, and set them aside for about 20 minutes. 
Once the dough has rested, put a large pot of water on to boil.  I use a stock pot because I can fit more bagels in it at once, but you could use a saucepan and just do fewer at a time.  Some people even use a deep frying pan with just a few inches of water in it.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a large cookie sheet generously with vegetable oil. 
Take each dough ball and use your thumbs to make a hole in the center, stretching it gently to be about an inch in diameter.  Some people prefer to hand roll bagels, but this method works just fine for me. 
Set the bagels aside on the counter for another 15-20 minutes.  By the end of this time, they should look a little puffier, and the water should be boiling. 
Carefully drop the bagels into the water one at a time, you'll have to do this in batches. Don't over crowd them! The bagels should float. 
Boil them for 2 minutes,then flip them over with tongs and boil for another minute or two. 
Take them out and set them on a plate to dry a little. 
Go ahead and add the next batch to the water, and after you turn them, move the first batch over to the prepared cookie sheet and dry the plate so the ones boiling have a place to dry.
 Continue this until all of the bagels are on the cookie sheet, then pop it in the oven for 22 minutes.  Since ovens vary, you might want to peek at the bottom of one after 20 minutes to make sure they aren't getting too dark. 
Take them out and let them cool for another 20 minutes. 
We love these with plain cream cheese, but I bet if you mixed some cherry preserves into plain cream cheese it would also be good.  For Cassidy, since she is allergic to dairy, we use Tofutti dairy free cream cheese substitute.


Jalapeno Cheddar Bagels  **Please note that these DO contain DAIRY!!**
yield: 8 bagels

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tsps instant yeast
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
about 1/8 cup chopped jalapeno slices, more or less to taste (use the kind that you buy in a jar, we use the ones we can from our garden)
1-1/2 cups of warm water

 Combine everything in a mixing bowl until it forms a stiff dough. Add a little more flour if it is too sticky, a little more water if you can't get all the flour worked in. 
Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead it until it is smooth and a uniform texture. Take care not to touch your face until after you have washed your hands, the hot peppers can burn your eyes.  Divide the dough into 8 equal balls and set aside for 20 minutes.
 Once the dough has rested, put a large pot of water on to boil. 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a large cookie sheet generously with vegetable oil. 
Take each dough ball and use your thumbs to make a hole in the center, stretching it gently to be about an inch in diameter. 
Set the bagels aside on the counter for another 15-20 minutes.  By the end of this time, they should look a little puffier, and the water should be boiling. 
Carefully drop the bagels into the water one at a time, you'll have to do this in batches. Don't over crowd them! The bagels should float. 
Boil them for 2 minutes,then flip them over with tongs and boil for another minute or two.  Take them out and set them on a plate to dry a little. 
Go ahead and add the next batch to the water, and after you turn them, move the first batch over to the prepared cookie sheet and dry the plate so the ones boiling have a place to dry.  Continue this until all of the bagels are on the cookie sheet, then bake for 22 minutes. 
Since ovens vary, you might want to peek at the bottom of one after 20 minutes to make sure they aren't getting too dark. 
Take them out and let them cool for another 20 minutes.

We also like these with plain cream cheese, or jalapeno cream cheese.  They also make excellent pizza bagels!  Just slice them in half and top with pizza sauce, pepperoni and mozzerella and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and slightly brown on top.  Yum!

Now that I think of it, maybe my next creation will be a pizza flavored bagel, with the sauce, mozz and pepperoni baked right in...stay tuned, if it works out I'll be sure to share!

Chocolate Chip Cookies, allergy safe!

My, oh my it has been a busy couple of weeks!  We have had so much going on, and after this week the rest of March is already pretty tightly booked.  My Etsy shop needs serious attention as does my laundry and house, but so have my kids and they always come first.  After a rough weekend (Friday night trip to the emergency room with River when she bit through the sides of her tongue, which was every bit as awful as it sounds, followed by a 24 hour stomach virus for me), I started the week 2 days behind in my projects with deadlines. Despite this, on Monday I made a "executive decision" to have coffee with a friend instead if catching up on my projects during the hours that I normally work while the youngest kids are in preschool .  After the weekend we had, I deserved it, and it was well worth it.  I left feeling refreshed and reconnected with the world just from the simple act of casual conversation.  Thanks Cristin!  I also have a new sewing tutorial in the works, inspired by that conversation and my attempts to scribble a sewing lesson on a paper napkin.  It's really for Cristin, but maybe some of you will enjoy it as well. Stay tuned for that, hopefully this weekend! So Monday afternoon, I did get white bread baked for the week as well as banana bread, but between ballet lessons, homework and bedtime, not much else.

I planned on getting caught up on Tuesday, since Mark was home all day too, but we ended up having company most of the day.  First my mom and a fantastic friend recently home from a military deployment.  Nothing that I had to do held priority over that visit.  Then my in-laws, who always understand when I need to work while they are visiting, but I ended up hanging out instead. By evening, Chloe was running a fever.  Never a dull moment.

As for me, I think the down time was a wise choice, because today not only did I get almost completely caught up (and by now I was 4 days behind!), but also played outside with the kids a bit, straightened the bedrooms, helped with homework, made dinner, cleaned the kitchen and did 4 loads of laundry.  I never would have gotten caught up on work if Mark had not entertained the little ones today (and he got the garden tilled to boot!), and if work had been hanging over my head I never would have had the (semi) focus and drive to get everything else done.  Especially since, other than the laundry which I had running while I was downstairs working, I did everything else that I listed after he went to work for the night.  The kids were all  completely not whiny or argumentative, either, which is always a bonus.

I decided that we all deserved a treat, and since It was an hour too early for a martini for me (vodka, dirty and slightly dry, 2 olives, please!) and Chloe, who has been eating next to nothing for weeks, has been asking for chocolate chip cookies, that seemed like a great idea.  The only problem was that my old standby recipe that used to be allergy safe for Cassidy contains applesauce (important since it is egg and dairy free) and she now clearly has a pronounced reaction to apples.  So I poked around in the kitchen for a bit and tried out a new allergy safe version.  Lucky for us, they turned out really well, and made plenty.  Luck for you, I'm going to share the recipe with you all now!

Allergy Safe Chocolate Chip Cookies
yield: about 30 cookies

3/4 cup non-dairy margarine (I use Earth Balance), softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
3 Tbsp. soy milk (if avoiding soy, use coconut milk)
1 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp non-dairy cream cheese (or vegetable shortening, in a pinch)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup allergy safe mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together the first 5 ingredients (margarine, brown sugar, soy or coconut milk, vanilla and cream cheese/shortening) until smooth.
Mix everything else except the chocolate chips (flour, baking soda, baking flour and salt) with a whisk and gradually add to the sugar mixture, beating well.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop by  teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 13 minutes.
Let cool slightly on the sheet, then move to a wire cooling rack.

I'd love to know what you think of this recipe, so feel free to leave me a comment!

Now, since the kids are in bed, I must get back to my martini...

Real Chocolate Syrup, dairy and corn syrup free!

 Before I get started, if you look to the right, you will see that you can now subscribe to my blog via email.  I know some of you noticed this already, because the number of email subscriptions that I can see on my end is growing!  You can also follow the blog using your existing Google, Yahoo or Twitter account, just scroll down a bit to the bottom of the right hand column for that option.

By now most people reading this know that we make a lot of our daily food from scratch.  We both enjoy cooking, but there are other reasons. Sometimes due to family food allergies, usually because it tastes better, almost always because it is healthier.  There is a 4th reason that only applies to some of the recipes, and that is because even if a healthy, allergy friendly version is readily available and affordable, dumping a few ingredients in a pot and stirring is ten thousand times easier than taking 4 small kids to the grocery store to buy, for example, chocolate syrup.

So that's how this recipe happened for the first time.  Added bonuses for us are that it is non dairy (some dairy free versions are at most grocery stores) and high fructose corn syrup free (not so readily available at the store) and while it does contain plenty of sugar, it's a bit more chocolatey and a touch less sweet. But those last 3 are just the reasons that I keep making it, batch after batch. It all started with me not wanting to drag the 4 minions out to the store on a cold, rainy evening.

It's so easy that I bet you'll start making your own, too.

Allergy Friendly Chocolate Syrup

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
dash of salt
2 tsp. vanilla

Combine everything except the vanilla in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture starts to simmer and thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Let it cool a little, but you can enjoy it warm over ice cream or brownies or cold in chocolate milk (or rice milk, or soy milk).  Make sure you store it in the fridge.  We put ours in an empty ketchup bottle that we washed out and saved because it is easy to squirt onto or into things, but a mason jar or tupperware work too.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dessert and Drinks for the winter blahs

I'm not a big fan of the winter months, and that's putting it mildly.  I don't like to be cold, I don't like slushing through snow with kids, trying to be on time for preschool when I'd rather be at home with a hot cup of coffee on a warm couch.  I can admit that right after a fresh snowfall, it is beautiful.  But then the cars drive through it and just leave ugly, slippery grey slush all over and eventually I also have to venture out in the mess, and the magic of the pristine scenery is lost. Winter holidays are great, I'll admit that. I'm working on enjoying Valentine's Day more, which you can read about here, and I love Christmas.  It's a favorite holiday of mine for several reasons, including the snacks and spirits! There are a few staple dessert and drink recipes that I don't make throughout the year, but, as a general rule, save for the several weeks encompassing Thanksgiving and  Christmas. Once in a while, when the glow of December has faded but the first glimmer of spring hasn't arrived, I treat myself to one of my favorite winter holiday desserts or cocktails (or both) to temporarily warm me up.  We haven't had much in the way of winter this year, but it's been pretty cold off and on which is enough to inspire me to have some dessert and booze.

This is one that is requested by other family members at gatherings during the fall and early winter, Cranberry Currant Pie.  It is made with tangy fresh cranberries, and the tiny dried Zante currants (also simply called currants) add interest and a bit of sweetness. For some reason, I always use the pie crust trimmings to cut out little stars for the top and sprinkle it with coarse sugar, so it has sort of become the signature look for this pie in our family. As an added bonus, this recipe is allergy friendly for my oldest daughter. In addition to the various fruits and vegetables that she cannot eat, this pie is also dairy, egg and nut free and is suitable for vegan baking.

Start with your favorite pie crust. Make sure you have enough for 2 crusts, one for the bottom crust and one to put on top. Usually, I just use Pillsbury pie crust. They are readily available, easy and also free of dairy, eggs and nuts. Plus, I have not yet perfected from-scratch pie crust like my grandmother's!

You will also need:

3 cups of fresh cranberries
3/4 to 1 cup of dried currants
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare the bottom crust by rolling it out and placing it in a 9 inch pie plate.

Rinse the cranberries and currants in cold water, then chop them coarsely by putting them in a food processor and pulsing a few times.  You don't want to crush or puree them, just roughly chop them up a little bit.  Pour them into the pie crust and set aside for now.

Using a whisk, mix the sugar, salt, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a mixing bowl.  Add the water, lemon juice and vanilla & orange extracts.  This mixture will probably be pretty thick, and that's fine. 

Pour this over the cranberries in the pie plate, as evenly as you can.  Since the mixture is thick, it may seem to sit on top, but it's ok, it will settle in and distribute itself while the pie bakes.

Top with the second crust and trim off the excess from the edges.  Crimp or pinch around the edges to seal.  I use the scraps of crust to roll out again and cut out little stars (or whatever shape you prefer).  Brush the backs of the stars with water and lay them out across the top of the pie. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  Check on it after about 35 minutes, and if the edges are starting to brown too early, cover them with strips of aluminum foil to keep them from burning during the rest of the baking time.

Once the pie is finished, cool completely on a wire baking rack before slicing.


Check back tomorrow for my favorite cranberry drink recipes, and I'd love to know what you think of the pie!

I Need a Drink...Seriously...

Where to begin.  The end of last week Cassidy missed 2 days of school to have some testing done, which was quite a process.  We ended the weekend a bit drained, but this week started well enough.  As you may know from my Valentine's Day post, last year's "V-Day is as much fun as VD" nightmare, which you can read about here, did not repeat itself, plus I got to make some cute clothes for the kids.  On Monday, the 3 younger kids delivered their valentines to preschool, and I didn't even forget the cupcakes I signed up to bring for River's class.  The afternoon went well despite Mark and I having stomach aches, I got my V-Day blog posted and when I took Cassidy and Chloe to ballet I got to chat with my friends at the dance studio. Their daughter is in Chloe's ballet class, and they share my sarcasm and lack of subtlety, so that is always a treat. Probably more so for us than for those sitting around us, but whatever. Chloe is having some significant health issues and has some appointments coming up, so it was nice to unload some of that stress on someone as well...thanks, Tricia!

At this point, I should add that if you are really only here for the martini recipe ,more power to you, just scroll down to the bottom of this post.  If you want to know why I needed it in particular this evening, read on.

Then it started.  Exactly 30 minutes after I packed up the girls and left the dance studio, River and Chloe stood on opposite corners of the living room rug (the only area rug in our hardwood floored house with the exception of a little heart shaped throw rug in the girls' room) and literally took turns puking towards each other for a full minute.  That might not sound like long, but for 2 vomiting kids, it's plenty long enough.  They were like a matched pair of fountains. Fountains of nastiness. So we dealt with that and got their hair washed and everyone into pajamas.  Both of them wanted something to drink, so we filled up their cups and put all 4 kids to bed.  Chloe was in our bed, and Quinn was snuggled up in there with her.  River and Cassidy were in their room, and since River wasn't feeling well, Cassidy offered to stay down (she sleeps in the top bunk of the bunk bed, Chloe is usually in the bottom, River has the trundle bed) and read to her.  As soon as Mark and I finished steam cleaning the rug, putting the nastiness from the clean-up effort in the washing machine and sat down on the couch, River threw up again.  This time all over the only other (tiny) rug in the house and all over Cassidy, poor kid.  I helped Cass get cleaned up, Mark put River in the tub (again) and as he was dressing her in clean pjs and I was cleaning up the rest of the mess and getting ready to set up the Stomach Virus System (seriously, we have it down to a science.  It's a post in and of itself, but one for another day..."How to Survive a Stomach Bug with Small Children"...), Chloe hurls all over our bed.  Luckily, Quinn dashed out of the way in time and into the dry safety of his own room.  This time, Mark cleaned the room while I bathed the kid.  Then he dressed her and cuddled with her while I tucked River back in and set up our room to survive the night.  None of the 4 of us got much sleep, as it continued through the night, but at least Cass and Quinn did, and they never got sick.

The next day, Tuesday, Cass went to school and by 10am, the sick girls were perking up some.  Then Quinn was standing on River's bed (which is not allowed) and he fell, landing with his chest right on the corner of the trundle drawer.  We seriously thought he may have cracked a rib, but after examining him and keeping an eye on him for a couple of hours decided it was just badly bruised. An hour later, when he finally started moving around again and came running down the hall, he slammed into the corner of a table with his hip, laying himself out flat on the floor.  Another ice pack and rest, and we moved on. Before Cassidy even got home from school, he had tripped in the living room and busted the whole side of his lip open.  More blood, note to self-get RED washcloths for these accidents, like my mom always told me to, so he doesn't see the blood on it, more ice in the form of a popsicle, then Cassidy got home. Mark had to work late, so I was solo for dinner and bedtime again.  Chloe fell asleep on the couch, so I just moved her into bed.   By the time I was getting the other kids' teeth brushed, she had woken up with a nightmare about medical testing that she will be having in the next month or so.  She ended up waiting for Daddy to come home from a late job before she could sleep again, and even then it had to be in our room with me.  At least this time there was no vomit involved.

She woke up 4 more times that night crying and shaking. It sucked for her the most, and both of us started Wednesday off with very little sleep.  Despite this, all 4 kids went to school/preschool, and I managed to get my oil changed, ship out some packages to customers of mine from my Etsy shop, stop at the grocery store and finalize the details of the donations that I have planned for the preschool fundraiser next month, all in the 2 hours that the little ones are at preschool.  Things seemed to be looking up. When I picked the kids up from preschool, the twins' teacher noted that they had a special treat, cupcakes, at snack time, and Chloe had refused to eat.  She was withdrawn all the way home, and didn't start to come around until she got to snuggle in her Daddy's lap for almost an hour. What it boiled down to was that the pain in her throat, chest and stomach (part of the reason for the doctor's appointments coming up) is now so bad that she didn't want to swallow.  I coaxed her into a snack, and Mark dropped Cassidy off from school then went to work for the night.

In the 4 hours between Mark leaving and bedtime, Quinn took a header off the couch while playing tug of war with the dog and landed squarely on the back of his head on the hardwood floor, Cassidy threw an uncharacteristic and huge tantrum which included screaming at her currently emotionally fragile sister for trying to comfort her (seriously, what the hell?) River fell off the kitchen stool and limped for almost an hour, Quinn stood on one of River's new birthday gifts, breaking it and hurting his leg (not the one he slammed into the table on Tuesday, the other leg), I tripped and fell on the basement stairs (I freaking HATE those stairs), and Chloe, poor, sweet Chloe, calmly and sadly explained to me that until her nightmares stop, she just isn't going to sleep anymore.  I swear, I couldn't make this stuff up. It was like a parody of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. But when you have kids, shit happens and you have days like this, hopefully not often, and sometimes you just have to suck it up.  Everyone goes to bed.  Tomorrow is another day, plus I'm working, so Grammie (that's my mom) is taking the 3 little minions while Cassidy is at school.  Thanks, Mom! Again with Chloe's nightmares all night, but the world doesn't stop for this stuff. On to Thursday.

The day starts with another freak out from Cassidy.  It turns out a kid at school is giving her a hard time. We offer coping strategies, but she still has to go to school.  She has already missed so much this year, including last week, with her own health issues, procedures and trips to the O.R. for scopes. Mark manages to have her laughing by the time he drops her off, scoring major daddy (and husband) points. Mom picks up the other kids, early even, and the rest of the day starts. It goes pretty well, I got some work done despite a migraine creeping in (is it any wonder at this point in the week?), and Cassidy had a great day after all.  Then I talk to my mom when I pick the kids up.  She is aware of Chloe's physical concerns, which include pain, fatigue and not having gained any weight for 17 months (she's 4 1/2, so that is a major concern.  It even won us an expedited appointment with the gastroenterology specialist at AI DuPont).  Mom was ready today with some of Chloe's favorite foods.  The problem, however, is that Chloe is now experiencing distinct episodes of dysphagia, or food getting stuck in her esophagus.  She had complained of the sensation recently, but now it is happening to the point that she is gagging and coughing and the food isn't moving. It hasn't blocked her airway yet, and it has eventually moved down on it's own, but it still isn't good. My mom is a nurse practitioner and has worked in women's health as well as pediatrics (the 2 sort of go together), and she is alarmed and concerned by this development, as am I.  The 3rd time it happened with bacon, she took it away and gave Chloe macaroni and cheese.  That got stuck for a while, too,  the only thing that Chloe swallowed easily all day was applesauce. The experience was understandably frightening to Chloe.  Remember that she is afraid to sleep right now because of nightmares about testing procedures that are related to her pain and physical issues.  Now, she is also afraid to eat.  She refused all food until 9pm, at which point she ate a little applesauce.  I made some chocolate pudding, but after a few bites she was afraid that it was too thick, and she said that she was too tired anyway and went to bed.  But since she was afraid to sleep, she just laid there, exhausted and hungry, until Mark came home at 10:30.  He brought more applesauce, yogurt and pudding for the next few days, and she finally felt secure enough to fall asleep in my arms.  A few nightmares later, and it was morning again.

I woke up to the Billie Dog limping badly on one hind leg, but it seemed to get better as she moved around and has resolved now, thank goodness. Mark worked all day again, from 9am-10:30pm, only coming home for lunch.  Chloe ate no solid food all day, only yogurt and applesauce in small amounts.  Quinn managed to avoid hurting himself, but River somehow slid face first off the couch and had a whopping bloody nose.  Cassidy didn't have much appetite and by bedtime needed her medication to control the muscle spams in her lower abdomen.  Now everyone, including the dog, is asleep, and Mama needs a drink in a serious way.  I've earned it today, and the whole week.  I'm not sure when we will have some concrete answers for Chloe, or when Cassidy's pain will be better controlled, or when Quinn and River will learn a little more caution.  But I am sure that I will enjoy a couple of my delicious Blueberry-Pomegranate Martinis.  I also feel better having dumped all of that out in the open, so if you read through all of it, you deserve a martini, too!  Even if you just scrolled down, I hope you enjoy the drink :)

Blueberry-Pomegranate Martini

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine:

1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup blueberry-pom juice (I use Pom brand, usually in the produce section)
the juice of 1 lime
a splash of vermouth

Shake it up and pour into a chilled glass.  Feeling fancy?  Rim the glass with pomegranate sugar and add some fresh blueberries for garnish.  You deserve it.  As for me, tonight, I'm considering drinking it straight out of the shaker...

Country White Bread

I love making yeast bread.  I know that some people feel that it's a pain, don't like waiting for it to rise, etc.  Not me.  Aside from the fact that I prefer fresh bread  made from basic ingredients about a million to one over store bought mystery loaves, I actually enjoy the process of kneading the dough and punching it down after the first rise.  In fact, lately I've found the idea of punching in general to be very therapeutic.  Perhaps I'm a little extra cranky and sleep deprived.  Since I don't walk around punching everyone that inspires me with such thoughts, the bread dough will do nicely.  I have a couple of favorite white bread recipes.  I bake most of the bread that we eat, and of the 2 recipes that I use the most, my current favorite is a dense, slightly sweet old fashioned country white bread with a soft crust.  Since the whole family eats this stuff, it is egg, dairy and nut free.  This recipe makes 2 loaves, so when I'm using it I bake bread twice a week for our family.

If you haven't baked yeast bread before, don't be scared off.  This is an easy recipe, I promise.  You do need to stick around while the dough rises, but I never understood why that was such a big deal for other people.  You stick around the house, you don't have to stand there for an hour and stare at the dough.  It's not like I don't have anything else to do.  Vacuum the house, clean the bathroom, do some laundry.  Even better, fill up a sippy cup and a coffee mug and snuggle up with your kid and a favorite book. Take a nap, have a beer, whatever.  Just set a timer so you don't forget to check on the dough!


Country White Bread
yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients

2 cups warm water (make sure it's warm, for the yeast!)
1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast (if you don't buy in bulk, this is 2 packets of yeast)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
about 6 cups of flour

Stir the sugar into the water until dissolved.  Add the yeast and set aside for about 10 minutes until it looks creamy.
In the mean time, generously grease a mixing bowl  (I use vegetable oil) and set it aside, too.
Once the yeast mixture looks creamy, stir in the salt and oil, then add the flour a cup or so at a time.
Once the dough is well formed, sprinkle a little flour on the counter and knead the dough until it is smooth.
Now put it in the greased mixing bowl, and flip it over once.  This lightly greases the top to help keep it from drying out during the first rise.  Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and leave it somewhere warm (most house temperatures are fine, as long as it is above 65 degrees) for about an hour, or longer if needed.  The dough should rise enough to roughly double in size.
Next, punch the dough down (Just give it a good punch right in the middle, and watch it deflate a bit. For extra fun, pretend it is someone annoying that you thought about punching this week!), then flour the counter again and knead the dough for a few minutes.
Divide in half and shape each piece into a loaf, and place each in a greased loaf pan.
Cover again with the clean towel and leave again to rise.  Usually this takes half an hour to an hour.  The bread is ready when it is nicely mounded and probably about an inch above the edge of the pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

That's all there is to it.  You can remove it from the pans as soon as you can touch it, and let it cool on a wire rack.  This bread freezes well, although we rarely need to freeze any because it gets eaten so fast!

Mmmmm...Muffins!

On Monday mornings, I like to get up and make fresh muffins before I pack Cassidy's lunch.  It's nice to start the week with a fresh, warm breakfast for the kids, especially when we all still want to stay in bed a little later, like we did over the weekend.  Also, they are easy to grab and take in the car for Mark and I, so we don't end up buying a $5 muffin at some coffee shop during our morning errands!  If they are cool enough, Cassidy loves them packed in her school lunch, and all 4 oft he kids like to have the leftovers for a snack after school, so with 6 of us, a batch of 12 muffins is perfect!  Somehow, I've gotten out of the habit recently, including this week.  But I needed to bake bread for the week on Monday afternoon, and I found myself really wishing that I had a muffin to snack on while I was waiting for the dough to rise. I promised myself that I would get back into the swing of things, so this morning I baked up a batch.

Among the recipes that I use frequently for muffins, the kids have 3 favorites. In no particular order, they are: oatmeal-chocolate chip, cinnamon french puff and classic blueberry (or really, any berry that we have in the fridge that needs to be consumed).  Today, we didn't have an berries left to use up, and I didn't drag myself out of bed early enough to make french puff muffins.  They only take about 15 extra minutes, but I was already cutting it pretty close, so oatmeal-chocolate chip won this round.  Mmmmm...don't they look good?

Sometimes, I find oatmeal bread or muffins to be a little on the dry side.  Trial and error with  ingredients usually in my pantry eventually created this recipe.  For those of you with food allergies, like my daughter, this recipe is free of dairy, eggs and nuts (provided you use allergen free chocolate chips).  If food allergies are not a problem in your house, you can make them just the same, using regular milk and whatever chocolate chips you usually use.  There is a slight crispness to the outside from the brown sugar in the batter, and the inside is moist enough that no butter is needed, which is a bonus if you are grabbing one on the go.  You would never know that they are allergen free!

What you need:
(makes 12 muffins)

1 cup of flour
1 cup of oats (old fashioned or quick cooking, either will be fine)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips (allergen free, if you need them, or whatever you usually use)
3/4 cup soy milk (or dairy milk, if that works for you)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non stick spray.  I like Pam baking spray, it is allergen free for us, and has never failed me. Muffin or cupcake papers are ok, but if you use them, be aware of the fact that the delicious crisped crust will only be on top.  With baking spray, it will be on the sides and bottom too...yum!

Combine the flour, oats, both sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and chocolate chips in a bowl with a whisk until well blended.

Add the milk, vegetable oil and vanilla and stir until just blended.  Just use a wooden spoon, and don't over mix!

Divide evenly into the prepared muffin pan.  For me, a 1/4 cup measuring cup is the perfect scoop for this particular recipe.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Let them cool for 10 or 15 minutes before removing from the pan, then dig in!

Let me know what you think.  These are definitely a family favorite for us, and one of my own staple allergy friendly recipes.